When You Left
by PhoebeColeTurnerHalliwell
Summary: Phoebe and Cole were childhood sweethearts who planned to run away together. But tragedy suddenly strikes, and Cole is killed. Twelve years later Phoebe is happily married when Cole unexpectedly surfaces, but he isn't the man he used to be.
1. A Night To Remember

_Prologue: Twelve Years Ago_

Eighteen-year-old Phoebe Halliwell sat in front of her vanity, applying her makeup. Her boyfriend, Cole Turner, was about to pick her up, and she didn't want to keep him waiting. Tonight was Baker High School's prom, and she wanted to look her very best for Cole because she had a feeling he would propose.

Grams would be furious of course, but she didn't care. She and Cole had been seeing each other since eighth grade and had never had a fight. Right from the moment Phoebe laid eyes on him, she knew he was the one. Most girls at age fourteen had no clue what love even was, and Phoebe had been no exception. But she found out when Cole had entered the music store on that hot afternoon in May.

Phoebe had been out with her gang, Ramona, Todd, and Rick, looking for good cassette tapes to steal. Phoebe had just picked up a Michael Jackson tape and had been about to walk through the door and make a run for it when he entered.

He had been the most gorgeous boy she had ever seen. His dark brown hair had been spiked up at the time, not enough to make him look like a punk, but sophisticated almost. Cool.

He'd made eye contact with her and gave her a lop-sided grin, almost as if he had known right then and there that they were going to be together for the next four years. Maybe he did. All she knew was that he had made her forget altogether about the tape.

Later that night after dinner Prue and Piper were studying for their high school finals and Paige was helping Grams clean the kitchen. Phoebe had shut herself in her and Paige's room and turned the stereo to its highest volume, her way of saying she wasn't coming down for the rest of the night. Around nine she heard a soft rap on the window.

Thinking it was either Todd or Rick, she opened the window, the night being too dark for her to see who was there.

To her surprise, it had been the spiky-haired boy from the music store.

"Hi there. Hope I didn't scare you," he said smoothly.

"Of course not. I'm just wondering what you're doing sneaking into my house when I don't even know your name," Phoebe replied, her hands on her hips.

The boy laughed. "My name is Cole Turner. And before you ask, your friends back at the store told me which window was yours. I came by to give you something."

He held out a brown paper bag. She took it, eying him suspiciously. She pulled out the content of the bag, and saw that it was the Michael Jackson tape.

"I saw you holding it back there and couldn't resist. They-your friends-were going to steal it for you, but I didn't see any reason for you all to get in trouble because of me. So here. Enjoy," he said, grinning.

"Cool. Thanks," Phoebe replied lamely, tossing the tape on her bed.

After that the two had become inseparable ever since, and Cole had become the fifth member of their little gang.

During their relationship throughout high school Grams, Prue and Piper had made it quite obvious that they disliked Cole. But Phoebe didn't care. Just the fact that her family hated her boyfriend made him that much more cool. Not that that was the only reason she went out with him.

The doorbell rang, breaking Phoebe out of her reverie. Her heart pounded in her chest as Paige called up to her, "I'll get it!"

Phoebe stood up and went into her oldest sister's room, wanting to take a pair of her diamond earrings. They had been given to her by Andy, Prue's old high school sweetheart. Prue never wore them anymore since they brought back memories of him that she said "were too painful to deal with" so she had given Phoebe permission to wear them whenever she wanted.

Phoebe quickly put the earrings on and gave herself one last once-over in the mirror.

She wore a dark green strapless gown that showed off more cleavage than Grams approved of. She wore it with a pair of Prue's stiletto heels and her mother's old gold necklace that their father had given her for their last anniversary before the divorce.

Her long brown hair was done up in a fancy bun. It would've been down as usual, but Cole liked her hair done up, so that was what she had decided on.

She went downstairs once she was satisfied with her appearance, allowing Grams a full view of her in the dress she had deemed inappropriate back at the store.

Grams wouldn't say anything with Cole standing in the entryway, staring at her in awe.

"Phoebe...you look beautiful!" Cole exclaimed, his mouth open in a wide O.

"Close that mouth of yours before I close it for you!" Grams snapped, causing Cole to snap it shut a half a second later.

"Shall we go? The limo's waiting and we're getting charged by the hour," Cole said, putting his arm around Phoebe's shoulders and began to lead her out when Grams stopped them.

"Listen, you two. Phoebe is to be home by three a.m. I'll have none of that staying out all night business..."

"Grams! Come on, everyone's going to be out all night! It's what you _do _on prom night!" Phoebe interjected, whining loudly.

"Precisely. I know what goes on during proms. Everyone gets drunk and wild, then they drive around, getting into accidents. I forbid you to get in the middle of that. Your mother was home at three, and so were Prue and Piper. You are no exception," Grams went on.

Phoebe and Cole exchanged knowing looks, and Phoebe hid a smile. "Okay, Grams. Whatever you say."

"Phoebe Halliwell, I mean it! You will be home by three, and I'll be waiting up for you."

"Okay, Grams. Home by three. Promise," Phoebe said, holding up her right arm in the Scout's honor position. Behind her back, she crossed the fingers of her left.

Grams studied the two of them, probably flashing back to all the trouble they had caused together, but finally sighed and nodded.

"Okay, then. C'mon Paige. Why don't we make some brownies?" She put her arm around Paige, who rolled her eyes in annoyance, but complying nonetheless. Once they were in the kitchen, Phoebe and Cole went outside, shutting the door behind them.

They didn't dare say anything until they got into the limo. Once inside, they burst out laughing.

"Home by three? Who does she think she's talking to?" Cole asked.

"She knows that once I graduate I'm as far away from here as possible, so she tries to exert as much authority over me as she can before I leave," Phoebe explained.

"Is that it? She sounded pretty serious about you having a curfew," Cole pressed, wrapping his arms protectively around Phoebe and kissing her cheek.

"No, that has more to do with Prue. When she was seventeen she got into some trouble with this guy. Ever since she's been wanting to keep us under her nose for as long as she can."  "What about your mother? Why did she make her come home?" Cole continued, working his way down to Phoebe's neck.

"Because my mother was her daughter, end of story. Why are you so interested?" Phoebe asked, worming her way out of Cole's grasp and bearing her gaze into his.

Cole shrugged. "No real reason. Just interested in my girl's family is all."

Phoebe smiled at the words and rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "Well aren't you sweet."

They reached the school gym in ten minutes. Everyone turned to look at Cole and Phoebe when they entered, either looking surprised that the two had shown up, or impressed.

They were greeted by Ramona and Todd. "Hey, guys! Glad you made it. Phoebe, I love your dress!" Ramona exclaimed, embracing Phoebe in a hug.

"Thanks, Mone. You look good, too," Phoebe said loudly against the music.

Ramona had on a short sky blue dress that went to her knees, showing off her long legs and white pumps.

"Where's Rick?" Phoebe asked Todd as the four walked onto the dance floor.

"I don't know. Off somewhere trying to find a girl, probably," Todd replied as he began to do slow dance with Ramona.

Phoebe nodded, giving Todd a knowing look. Everyone knew Rick was the school badass. Sure, when the five of them were together they could do some damage, but when Rick was by himself, he was just downright scary.

Phoebe didn't want to think about him. She was wanted Cole to dance with her, hold her, and maybe even...

But did she? That was the real question. The two of them were madly in love. What other reason did they need? Cole knew how much Phoebe wanted to get out of San Francisco. He knew how suffocated she felt by her sisters, and how tight Grams held onto her. He knew all about her past and what happened to her parents. Boyfriends were supposed to rescue their girlfriends when they needed it.

Not surprisingly, prom king was Todd and prom queen was the school bitch Paula Sands. Paula had the entire school too scared to vote for anyone but her, so it wasn't like the announcement came as a surprise, but Paula still had the audacity to act surprised and honored.

Phoebe wanted to throw up.

After the crowning of the king and queen, Cole led her outside by the tennis courts.

"I figured you would want to get out of there for a bit. The entire senior class inside that stuffy old gym can be just that. Stuffy," Cole said as he led her to the school gate.

"I appreciate it," Phoebe said, smiling seductively up at him. Her heart was pounding in anticipation of what she suspected he was going to do, but she didn't lead him on about it. She wanted to act surprised when and if he popped the question.

They stayed silent for a while, listening to the faded music coming from the gym, and the silence from the outside world. Looking out into the mountains in the distance and the stars in the sky made Phoebe realize that in just a few weeks time, she would be out in the world on her own, finally away from her overbearing older sisters, who she would never be able to compare to, and her annoying younger half-sister who tried to imitate everything Phoebe did.

But what she wanted even more than to be out in the real world was to be out in the world with Cole.

"Phoebe...." Cole trailed off, suddenly sounding nervous.

A sharp pang in her chest pierced her heart, but Phoebe ignored it, knowing what Cole was about to do.

"Phoebe, I love you so much. We've been together for four years, but it feels like much longer. You know I've been accepted at UCLA," he said, pausing. Phoebe lowered her head and stared at her feet.

She hated it when he started talking about college. She had no intention of going; at least not right away. Cole was the one who wanted to go and become a lawyer. It was the part of him she had never understood but supported. His father had been a lawyer before him, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps.

"I've been accepted to UCLA, but I also got accepted to New York State," he continued.

Phoebe raised her head. "New York State? I thought you wanted to stay in-state to get residency."

Cole shrugged. "I thought I did. I almost threw away the acceptance letter to New York, convinced I wanted to stay here where my family and friends are. But I realized something when I was dancing in there with you just now. I realized that I want to be with you more."

"That doesn't mean you have to go to New York State. We could go anywhere. I'd go with you to LA if you went to UCLA."

"But I know that isn't what you really want. You want to leave California. You didn't have to say so; I can see it in your eyes."

Phoebe looked down again.

"New York State is just as good as UCLA. And it's far away from here. We could run away together and not tell anyone. Not my parents, not your grandmother or sisters. Not even Ramona, Todd, and Rick. Just you and me and New York. Right after graduation. What do you say?" Cole asked, looking into her eyes hopefully.

Phoebe didn't know what to say. It wasn't exactly the proposal she had been expecting, but so what? Running away with him to New York was just as exciting. Maybe even more romantic. Definitely smarter. And she would be far away from her so-called family.

"Will you come with me? I'm only going to New York if you go with me," Cole told her.

Phoebe hesitated for only a second more. She met his gaze and flashed him her wide smile. "Yes. I'll go to New York with you!"

She threw herself at him and they toppled over onto the concrete, laughing hysterically. Phoebe couldn't remember ever feeling this happy. She and Cole were on their way to spending the rest of their lives together.

Of course fate had to throw them a curveball. And it came only an hour later once they were back in the limo.

"Take us back to my place, please," Cole told the driver, giving him the address. The plan was to ditch the limo, pay the driver, and get Cole's car.

But the other limo driving the opposite way had other plans. They crashed into Cole and Phoebe's limo on Cole's side at full force.

Phoebe screamed as the two cars made impact, which was the last thing she remembered.

When she woke up she was lying in a hospital bed with her right arm in a sling and her neck in a cast. Grams was sleeping in the chair beside her, still in the clothes she had been wearing when Phoebe and Cole left for the prom.

Cole! What had happened to him?

"Oh my god, she's awake!" Piper's voice exclaimed. Phoebe tried to look around to find her sister, but found she couldn't move at all.

"Pi-Piper?" Phoebe stammered.

"I'm here, Pheebs." Piper entered the room, followed by Prue and Paige. Prue looked concerned and Paige was in tears. Piper's eyes were red, as though she hadn't slept all night.

"Grams, she's awake," Prue nudged their grandmother, who was up in an instant.

"Thank God. Paige, go get a doctor. They'll want to know," Grams said. She sat down on Phoebe's bed.

"Darling, do you remember what happened?" Grams asked, moving a strand of Phoebe's hair behind her ear.

"Um...sorta. Cole and I were in the limo...t-talking. Then another l-limo slammed into us. I blacked out." Phoebe tried to sit up straighter, her neck and arm arguing against it.

"Where's Cole? What happened? Is he okay?" Phoebe asked, looking from Grams to Prue and Piper.

Her older sisters looked down, suddenly interested in the floor. Grams sighed, taking her time in answering.

"Phoebe, darling. You must understand that the other limo was going ridiculously fast. And from what I heard, it slammed into Cole's side."

"What. Happened?" Phoebe demanded slowly, glaring daggers at her grandmother.

Grams hesitated then answered. "Phoebe, there is no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to come out with it. Cole is dead. He died from the impact."


	2. Blast From The Past

Chapter One 12 Years Later

"Phoebe? Sweetheart, you need to get up now." 30-year-old Phoebe Halliwell smiled inwardly. Connor's soft voice filled the room and sounded like a cold iced tea on a hot summer day.

Connor Beckley was her fiance of six months, though they had ben seeing each other for four years. At first he had been nothing more than the rebound guy for Phoebe. Phoebe thought she would never get over the death of her old love Cole Turner twelve years earlier. Many guys had asked her out throughout college and a couple years afterwards, but she didn't have the strength back then to start a relationship.

Even four years ago, when she met Connor at her older sister Piper's nightclub P3, she had been hesitant at first. Cole's sudden death had struck her hard and for the longest time she hadn't been sure if she could ever move on. Connor had understood that he was nothing more than the rebound guy, but his unlimited patience and unconditional love had eventually brought Phoebe to realize that she loved him back.

Sometimes when she looked into Connor's loving eyes, she felt guilty. Almost as though she were betraying Cole somehow. She knew it was ridiculous. Cole would want her to move on and not keep living in the past, it still felt like a huge betrayal.

"Ten more minutes," Phoebe murmured into her pillow, aware of her fiance taking in her body.

She felt him slowly climb onto the bed and lay on top of her, smelling her hair. "But you need to go and make your readers happy," he whispered into her neck, making Phoebe giggle.

"They won't notice if I take the day off," Phoebe replied tiredly, trying to roll over onto her back, but Connor's body wouldn't allow it.

Connor didn't say anything. He just kept taking her in. He wrapped his arms around her stomach and rubbed it gently. "One day there's gonna be a baby in there."

Phoebe shuddered. "Not any time soon, I hope."

Connor laughed. "Well, first we need to have the wedding."

"Don't remind me. Just the thought of all that planning makes me sick. Can't we just elope and go off to Vegas?"

"But what would our families say?" Connor asked playfully, tickling her back.

"My sisters would be annoyed at first for not being able to see the wedding, but they would get over it. As for your parents, well..." she trailed off suggestively.

"They'd disown us," Connor replied simply.

Phoebe shrugged. "It was worth a shot. Now get up. I need to take a shower or else Elise will have me thrown out of the building."

Connor sat up and got off the bed. Phoebe followed suit and headed for the bathroom, preparing for another long day sitting behind the computer and going through hundreds of readers' letters.

* * *

"Phoebe! Your advice to 'Confused in Coronado' was brilliant! We've already received over three hundred hits this morning alone!" Her boss Elise exclaimed in greeting that morning. Phoebe smiled weakly as her boss praised her.

"Really? I just told her she should try going back to school," Phoebe replied.

"That's just it! It was inspirational. Not only will that woman go back to college, but countless others who were feeling the same way will take your advice too! You're receiving rave reviews for it," Elise continued.

"I'm sure anyone else would've said the same thing," Phoebe retorted, embarrassed from being put in the spotlight like that.

Elise gave her a you-know-I'm-right-you're-just-being-modest look then left to give the reporters new stories to cover.

Smiling inwardly, Phoebe turned and went inside her office. She was met with the usual boxes of readers' letters, all desperately hoping the famous Ask Phoebe would reply to theirs and give them some profound advice that they could probably ask a close friend and still get the same response.

Her assistant Julie knocked once and came inside, holding that morning's stack of envelopes.

"Where should I put them?" the tall blonde asked, looking from box to box.

Phoebe sighed. "Just put them in the box by the computer." She put her hand on her forehead, allowing herself five seconds of feeling overwhelmed. How would she ever get through them all?

Giving her a sympathetic smile, Julie turned and left the office. Phoebe sat up and took a deep breath, then rifled through the box closest to her for a decent letter she could respond to.

Finally settling on the letter from a woman worried whether her husband was cheating on her, she turned on her computer and wrote a small yet hopefully helpful paragraph telling the woman to snoop around a little bit for the telltale signs.

She continued typing until noon. Grabbing her coat off the hook she turned to Julie. "I'll be at the cafe across the street having lunch with my sister. Just call if you need to get in touch with me. I'll be back in an hour."

Without waiting for her assistant's answer, she left the Bay Mirror offices and crossed the street, entering the little cafe.

She spotted Piper, the sister she was having lunch with, in the outside deck sipping a glass of iced tea.

"Order me any?" Phoebe asked in greeting. She sat down across from her older sister and told the passing waitress to please get her an iced tea as well.

"How have you been?" Piper asked calmly.

Phoebe shrugged. "You mean besides the career that has unexpectedly taken off and the stressful wedding planning? I'm fine."

Piper laughed. "I sure would hate to have your problems," she said sarcastically, earning her a death glare from her younger sister.

"I mean it. This wedding is going to be the death of me. We need to book the band and order the flowers, and hire the photographer. Not to mention sending out all the invitations. I think Connor is bringing at least fifty family members. I didn't think he had that many."

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about the caterer. I'll be surprising you with the menu, by the way. The bride does not get to know," Piper said.

Phoebe frowned. "Isn't that cheating?"

Piper shrugged. "When the bride's sister is catering, it's special circumstances."

Phoebe smiled, knowing she wouldn't be winning this argument.

"I figured as much." Phoebe's expression turned serious as she once again turned to Piper. "All kidding aside...how are you?"

The waitress returned and sat down a large glass full of sweetened iced tea in front of Phoebe. They both ordered chef salads with Italian dressing. Once the waitress left, Piper met Phoebe's gaze.

"I've been good. Business is going good. We've been getting a lot more bookings thanks to that wedding we did a couple weeks ago."

"The Townsends? You got tipped like a thousand bucks that day, didn't you?" Phoebe asked jokingly.

"It was a hundred per person who was there," Piper clarified.

Phoebe nodded. "So have you talked to Prue lately?"

"Yeah. She and Andy are planning to come down next weekend. You should come," Piper replied.

"Did she get the promotion at the museum?" Phoebe asked, purposefully avoiding Piper's last comment.

"About a month ago. Didn't she tell you?"

"Come on, Piper. You know we haven't been talking. Ever since the accident..."

Phoebe trailed off as the sisters flashed back to the night Cole was killed. That night had been a turning point for the sisters. Prue and Phoebe fought more after that since Prue was convinced the accident had been Cole's fault. Phoebe couldn't believe that Prue could suggest such a thing since they had both been in the backseat of the limo talking. Piper had actually gotten closer to them since she acted as referee to them. Paige had disappeared completely, moving to the other side of the country to do social work. Prue and Phoebe blamed each other for their baby sister's strained relationship with her family.

"Phoebe, Prue's just looking for someone to blame. You scared her that night. Do you have any idea how close you came to death?"

"I know, Piper, but that's not the point. Prue never approved of anything I did back then, and nothing has changed. She doesn't like Connor, she doesn't read my column. She thinks I'm wasting my psychology degree," Phoebe said, growing angrier with each word she said.

"You know that's not true. She just...I don't know. She's protective, that's all. It's not that she doesn't like Connor, she just doesn't think he's good enough for you. And with all the hours she puts in at the museum in L.A, it's a wonder she has time for anything. Don't worry about Prue. Is Paige coming down for the wedding?" Piper asked, changing the subject.

Phoebe sighed, not quite ready to quit rambling about her oldest sister. But she dropped it since she knew Piper was sick of hearing it.

"I don't know. I mailed her the invitation about a week ago, but she hasn't said anything. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't."

"She will. No matter how much she likes to pretend that we don't matter to her, in the end she always comes around," Piper said, sounding so confident that Phoebe had no choice to believe her.

Their waitress returned with their salads and the check. Phoebe welcomed the distraction. Talking about what was left of her family always depressed her. Piper seemed to be thinking along the same lines, for she looked just as pleased to see her food as her sister.

Piper and Phoebe ate their food in silence, listening to the friendly chatter of the other people at the restaurant. Phoebe checked her phone to see if Connor left her any messages. He hadn't.

"You have invited Prue to the wedding, right?" Piper asked after awhile.

Phoebe nodded. "Yes. Why? She hasn't told you she isn't going, has she?"

"No, nothing like that. She hasn't mentioned it at all, which made me wonder if you had sent her an invitation yet."

"Oh. Connor hasn't sent out his yet because he's still trying to decide if he should narrow his guest list down. That man has the biggest family in the entire state of California," Phoebe said.

Piper smiled but didn't comment. Phoebe picked up the check, taking out her credit card and handing it to the waitress before Piper could object.

She returned a minute later, and Phoebe signed the receipt, allowing Piper to leave some cash on the table.

"It was nice seeing you again, Piper. We need to catch up more," Phoebe said as she stood up.

"Yes, we should. Promise me you'll call Prue," Piper replied as she walked over to hug her little sister.

"Only if you promise to talk to Paige. I can only deal with one long-distance sister at a time," Phoebe reasoned.

As they pulled out of their hug Phoebe bumped into a man who was walking too fast behind them.

"Excuse me!" Phoebe exclaimed, ready to turn on the guy for his lack of manners.

But all her energy drained out of her as she saw the back of the stranger as he moved away. Even though it had been twelve years since she saw it, she would've recognized that dark, spiky hair and naturally muscled body anywhere.

"Cole," Phoebe whispered, right before she fainted to the ground.


	3. What A Day

A/N: Thanks for sticking with me and reading the story. It'll be picking up quite quickly! Many thanks to **qtgirl, singleladie4ev, Joseph Santiago, and Joleca **for reviewing the previous chapter. You don't know how much I appreciate it. Happy reading!

* * *

_Chapter Two_

"I think she fainted!"

"Someone call an ambulance!"

When Phoebe began coming to, she was aware of concerned, hysterical voices surrounding her. It seemed the entire restaurant had crowded around her, trying to catch a glimpse at the woman who had fallen to the floor in front of their eyes.

As Phoebe tried to sit up, the events leading up to her fainting spell came rushing back to her.

Cole.

Phoebe shot up from the concrete and began scanning the faces around her desperately in a feeble attempt at locating her long lost love.

"Phoebe, sweetie, you need to take it easy," Piper said from beside her. Phoebe hadn't even realized she was there.

"Piper, I saw him! I saw Cole!" Phoebe exclaimed loudly.

Piper looked disbelieving. "What you need to see is a hospital. Or a doctor. An ambulance is on its way."

"We don't have time for that. I need to find him!" Phoebe snapped impatiently, fighting against Piper's strong grip to get herself on her feet.

But Piper wasn't giving up. "Phoebe, please. Even if you think you're okay, you might have a concussion and you can't drive or work if that's the case. Just sit lay down and take it easy."

"We don't have time for that! Cole was just here and he's getting away. We need to go after him! And besides that, I'm not laying down on that dirty concrete," Phoebe put in, looking at the ground as if it were covered in mud.

"Then sit in a chair," Piper breathed. Phoebe could tell that her sister was losing her patience.

Glaring at Piper, she did as she suggested and sat down in the chair she had sat in earlier during lunch. The restaurant manager announced for everyone to go about their business and that there was nothing more to look at, which Phoebe was grateful for. She didn't appreciate being gawked at like a zoo animal.

During the excruciatingly long wait for the ambulance that Phoebe knew she didn't need, she wondered why Piper deliberately ignored her insistence that she saw Cole. Did Piper think that she was out of her mind? Seeing things? Or had she seen him too and just didn't think it was a big deal?

She wanted to ask her older sister, but judging from Piper's scowl, crossed arms, and constant pacing, she didn't think now was the right time. Phoebe decided she would grill her for answers when they were alone.

Phoebe's cell phone rang from inside her purse. With Piper's eyes on her, Phoebe took it out and looked at the caller ID. It was Elise. Great.

"Hello?" Phoebe said cautiously into the receiver.

"Phoebe! Where the hell are you? You have an interview with 415 in an hour!" Elise hissed over the phone.

Phoebe winced from both Elise's loud voice and the forgotten interview. "Oh my god, Elise, I'm sorry but I don't think I'll be able to make it."

"What are you talking about? You've had this interview scheduled since last week! How could you not make it?" Elise asked incredulously.

"I...uh...I sorta had an...accident," Phoebe finally relented, not so keen on elaborating.

"An accident? Are you okay?" Elise said, sounding concerned but pissed at the same time.

"Yeah, but the EMTs are on their way to see if I'm okay. Is there any way to postpone the interview? Maybe later this afternoon?" Phoebe asked hopefully.

Elise sighed into the phone. "I'll see what I can do. But as long as you're okay I expect you to get in this office pronto!" And with that there was a click as the line went dead.

Phoebe stared at the phone for a second longer then stuffed it back in her purse, feeling overwhelmed by how hectic her life had become.

The ambulance arrived five minutes later and hurried out with their medical equipment. The restaurant manager quickly led them over to Phoebe, who by then was feeling fine.

"Is this really necessary? I feel fine, and I have a job to get back to," Phoebe explained as the EMTs got out their equipment.

"We're just gonna do a quick check-up to make sure your vitals are okay and to make sure you don't have a concussion," the first technician hastily explained as he took out a stethoscope and began checking Phoebe's heartbeat.

Piper waited while Phoebe was checked on, and to block curious onlookers in order to give her sister some privacy. Phoebe appreciated it. Being checked on in public was horribly embarrassing.

"Okay. You're fine. Just take it easy for a while, Ms. Halliwell." The EMTs were packing up just ten minutes or so later. Once they left, the restaurant manager hurried forward and began to clear their dirty plates from the table.

"Don't worry about the bill, ladies. Lunch is on the house!" he said hurriedly, obviously worried about a lawsuit.

The sisters nodded, appreciating the gesture, and left the restaurant. Phoebe looked around her as carefully as possible, hoping that she would spot her dead ex-boyfriend on the street or in a passing car. She knew she wouldn't, though. He was long gone, and all she could do now was hope she could spot him in passing around town.

"You aren't going to tell anyone about this, are you?" Phoebe asked Piper as she waited for the crosswalk sign to turn to 'Walk.'

Piper shook her head. "No. Who would I tell besides Prue or Paige? Fainting in a restaurant is hardly news anymore, Pheebs. People do it all the time."

"No, not about that. About Cole."

Piper sighed and took a deep breath. "There's nothing to say, Phoebe. You bump into a guy you _think _is Cole, but he was probably just a look-alike. He died twelve years ago. I thought you were over this."

Phoebe shrugged. "I thought I was, but seeing him today..."

"No. You didn't see him today. You saw someone who looked like him, then you probably just dreamed about him while you were unconscious. I know his death was hard on you, but you have got to get past this. You're getting married, and I don't think your fiance will appreciate you pretending your ex-boyfriend is back from the dead."

Phoebe looked to the ground, knowing Piper was right.

"Do me a favor, okay? Just drop it. You'll be happy you did in the long run." Piper glanced at her wristwatch then back into her younger sister's eyes. "I gotta get back to the restaurant. Call Prue!"

"I will. Bye," Phoebe promised, and hugged Piper before heading back into work.

Phoebe didn't know how she pulled it off, but she made it back to the Bay Mirror in time for her scheduled interview with the reporter from 415 magazine without Elise having to push it back a couple of hours.

Elise gave Phoebe her famous death glare as she entered the office. Everyone was staring at her as she came in, obviously observing the scene from the windows since the restaurant had been across the street.

Phoebe felt a flare of anger at Cole for bringing her all this humiliation. And for causing her to doubt the events of the last twelve years. But she pushed all that out of her mind as the reporter from 415 stepped up from behind Elise.

"Phoebe, this is Graham Tucker. He'll be interviewing you," she said, introducing the young, blond man before turning to him. "Would you be more comfortable in Phoebe's office or mine? Whichever works better for you."

"Ms. Halliwell's office will be just fine, thanks Elise," Graham Tucker said as he flashed Phoebe a toothy grin.

Phoebe repressed the urge to deck him right in the mouth. She didn't know why exactly, but she didn't like this guy. He reminded her of all those guys from high school who thought they were God's gift to women.

"Well, have fun you two," Elise said and hurried back into her office.

"After you," the reporter said, and gestured for Phoebe to go inside first.

_Please let this go by quickly, _Phoebe silently pleaded to no one in particular.

* * *

"Hi, honey! I thought you were coming home at six. It's ten past seven," Connor said in greeting as Phoebe unlocked the door of their apartment and came inside.

"You would not believe the day I had," Phoebe said tiredly, throwing her purse on the armchair by the front door. She joined him in the kitchen and grabbed a mineralwater out of the fridge.

"Why don't you tell me all about it over dinner," Connor said. Phoebe just then noticed the wonderful aroma of spaghetti and marinara sauce with garlic bread. It was Connor's favorite dish to make.

Phoebe helped him dish out two plates and they went to sit at the kitchen table. Connor poured them two glasses of wine and they sat down to eat.

"So. What kind of day did you have?" Connor asked with interest.

Phoebe hesitated. She was dying to confess how she saw her high school sweetheart that day who was believed to be dead and how the sleazy reporter from 415 magazine had flirted with her incessantly and then tried to ask her out, not taking no for an answer. But she knew that any one of that would set off his temper, which she had only heard about from his immediate family and close friends. She didn't want it aimed at her.

"Just long and tiring. You know how it is," was all Phoebe said, not wanting to outright lie to him.

Connor nodded. "That's what happens when you give advice to nearly all the men and women of California."

Phoebe blushed. "I wouldn't say all of them. Although the four or five boxes of letters might be an indication otherwise," she said.

Connor laughed. "That's my modest girl. It's what I love about you."

Phoebe was glad he hadn't found out about the restaurant and her little fainting spell. She didn't want him concerned over nothing. She'd never convince him that she was okay unless he rushed her to the hospital. It's what doctors did. And her fiance was a very good one.

"Alright, enough about me. What about you? How did your shift go?" Phoebe asked as she took a sip of wine.

"Surprisingly well. I haven't worked such a short day in nearly five years. But there was an accident today. It was a pretty bad car accident. This family was driving by 3rd Street and McClay when this black Mercedes comes out of nowhere and slams into them at full speed, driving as though the devil was chasing him, according to the witnesses. The family got hurt pretty badly, and the two children in the back are in pretty critical condition. I don't know if they're gonna make it to be honest with you. My superiors said they might have to call me in if their condition changes. I wanted to let you know," Connor explained gravely.

"Oh, that's terrible. Was the driver of the Mercedes okay?" Phoebe asked with interest.

"That's the thing. He disappeared. No one knows where he went. The police aren't calling it a hit and run, but they are curious as to how he could've gotten away when he had to have been hurt pretty badly, judging from the pile of wreckage that is his car," Connor went on.

Phoebe's heart lurched as she remembered something Connor said. They had been driving by 3rd Street and McClay. That wasn't too far from the Bay Mirror. It wasn't even two miles away. Was it just a coincidence?

"Honey? What is it?" Connor asked, picking up on Phoebe's alertness.

Phoebe quickly covered her suspicions up with a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. But I'm a little tired from that interview. I think I'm gonna go take a bath."

She stood up and went to the sink to rinse off her plate and put it in the dishwasher.

"I'll take care of the leftovers, so don't worry about that. See you in the bedroom?" Connor asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Phoebe smirked. "I'll be there." Then she went into the bathroom and lit some candles, dimmed the lights and put her hair into a messy bun. She climbed into the tub of hot water as soon as it was full, hoping that she could find divine intervention in the water that would lead her to her long lost love.


	4. The Phone Call

A/N: Thanks to **Joleca, qtgirl, lizardmomma, and Draco's-Loyal-Longing **for reviewing the previous chapter. Hopefully this one is to your satisfaction. Happy reading!

_Chapter Three_

Connor had been called into the hospital while Phoebe was still in the bath, so when she came out she found his note on their bed, apologizing for the hasty exit. Phoebe sighed but accepted it, knowing this was the price she had to pay for marrying a doctor.

She contemplated calling him and asking for an update about the accident, but threw that idea away when she realized that would entail telling him about seeing Cole earlier that day. That wouldn't be ideal, especially when he didn't know about Cole in the first place.

Every time she thought about Cole and Connor, she felt sick to her stomach. She brought it on herself, of course, keeping secrets from the man she would be marrying very soon, but it didn't mean she had to like it.

So she was stuck in their apartment by herself with only the television, a handful of books, and her work to keep her entertained. And since she had promised Connor that she wouldn't work from home, that meant that she would be spending the rest of the evening in front of the TV.

Not that it wasn't her idea of a good time. As a kid, she had spent quite a lot of time watching television. It had been a good escape from Grams and Prue fighting all the time. It had become such a routine event that Piper and Paige would sometimes join her and they would put in an old black and white movie, turn the volume up to its highest level, and immerse themselves in another time and place.

But now, with Grams and her sisters gone, the only excuse Phoebe had was boredom. She supposed she could go through with the promise she made to Piper and call Prue, but she didn't feel like getting into a fight. She had been in enough heated conversations that day. No, Prue could wait until tomorrow.

Then she considered calling Paige, but shot the idea down when she realized that it was nearly 11:30 in New York. That was where her younger sister had been living for the past couple of years ever since she had left to go to Berkley College.

So that meant that Phoebe was left alone for the rest of the night. Sighing, she laid down in her bed and turned the TV on, hoping she could find some kind of program to keep herself entertained.

She found a talk show, an action tv show, and some movies with the good parts cut out. Nothing that sounded remotely interesting. Then an idea came to her. She'd call her old friend Ramona.

They hadn't talked since their ten-year reunion two years ago. The two, along with Todd, had promised to keep in touch but so far the only talking they had done since then had been through Todd's news station. He was the anchor for Channel 5.

She found Ramona's number in her phonebook. She dialed the number and waited for her former best friend to pick up. She did on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey. It's me. It's Phoebe," she replied into the receiver.

"Phoebe! Oh my God! How are you?" Ramona asked excitedly.

Phoebe laughed. Ramona had always been the hyper, easy-going one. Out of their little gang, Ramona had been the one to make friends the easiest. She had made friends with at least one person from every clique. Phoebe saw that as a form of betrayal back then, but now she saw that Ramona had been the happiest one of them. From the way Ramona described her life, it sounded as though that were still the case.

"I'm good. Connor and I are still trying to get everything in order for the wedding in a couple of months," Phoebe explained.

"Oh yeah. I meant to call you to tell you that Ted and I got your invitation. We'll definitely be there!"

Phoebe smiled, glad she had decided to call her friend. "I'm glad to hear it. Listen, I know it's getting late and all, but...would you want to maybe catch a cup of coffee or something?"

Ramona's tone of voice changed, and Phoebe could detect sympathy and regret. "Oh, sorry Phoebe, but I can't. Ted and I are getting ready to go dancing." Phoebe hung her head, not answering Ramona straight away. "But you're welcome to come join us! We'll be at The Rave in...I'd say fifteen minutes or so."

Phoebe shook her head, then mentally slapped herself for doing so since Ramona couldn't see it. "No, that's okay. You and Ted go have a good time."

"Phoebe, are you sure?" Ramona sounded apologetic.

"Yeah, I'm positive. Go be with your guy," Phoebe rushed to say.

"Okay. Have a good night then. We can always meet up sometime this weekend if you'd like," Ramona offered as an afterthought.

"Sure. This weekend," Phoebe muttered, then hung up, not wanting to keep Ramona and her husband waiting. Then she slammed the phone down on the nightstand and flopped down on the bed. She had no idea boredom could hurt so much. Why did Connor have to get called in? Weren't there any other doctors to keep watch on the family who had gotten into the accident?

Phoebe found herself blaming Cole for this. If he had just stayed dead, then she wouldn't be feeling like she used to when she was in high school. She felt the same way she had back when she had first laid eyes on him in the record store all those years ago. Young, naive, and gullible.

If he had been alive all this time, then why hadn't he called her, or let her know in some way that he wasn't dead? Why did he let her believe all this time that he was dead? Believing that she would never be able to see him again? He had to have known back at the restaurant that it had been her he had knocked into. Why hadn't he stayed?

Unless Piper was right and it hadn't really been Cole. Just some look-alike who she had believed to be Cole in her hopeful state of mind. But she knew in her heart that it wasn't true. Piper was wrong. It had been Cole. All she had to do was find him and prove it. Find him and then kill him for lying to her all this time.

Angry tears threatened to spill, but Phoebe rubbed them away. She refused to cry for him. He didn't deserve the satisfaction. At least not until he came back and explained things to her. And if he wouldn't come to her, then she would just have to go to him. Wherever the hell he was.

The phone rang then, startling Phoebe out of her thoughts. She sat up and grabbed the phone from the nightstand.

"Hello?" she said.

"It's me." Connor's voice filled her ears, and Phoebe guiltily pushed all thoughts of Cole to the back of her mind as though he could somehow tell that she had been obsessing over him.

"Hey you. How's everything going?" Phoebe asked, glad that he had called.

"Don't get me started. They're keeping me here longer than I expected," he said, sounding like Ramona with his apologetic tone.

"How long?" Phoebe demanded.

"Throughout the nightshift. It's just that the youngest kid, this five-year-old girl, is in a coma, and her condition is steadily becoming worse. Even if they weren't keeping me here, I'd probably stay. I can't lose this kid, Phoebe," Connor explained hastily.

Phoebe smiled in spite of herself, knowing the type of doctor Connor was. He wasn't going to just walk away from a patient, especially a little kid.

"I know you can't. That's okay. You go save her," Phoebe stated, hoping the loneliness wasn't too obvious in her voice.

Phoebe could swear that she could hear Connor's smile. "That's my girl. Thanks for understanding, and I'll see you when I see you."

"Bye."

They hung up the phone, and the surge of pride Phoebe felt a moment ago quickly left, and the boredom had rapidly replaced it. She laid back down, the sound of gunshots filling the room from the TV.

A crashing sound woke Phoebe from her sleep and she jumped to life. She looked to the television to see if it had been the show on, but it had changed to a romantic comedy movie, and it didn't seem as though anything had crashed in it.

Thinking it had just been a dream, she started to lay back down and tried to calm down when she heard it again. It sounded as though it were coming from the kitchen.

She bolted from the bed and hurried to Connor's sock drawer, where he kept the gun they had bought years ago for protection. Stuffing it in the front of her pajama bottoms, she quickly put her pale blue robe on and walked to the bedroom door, her heart thumping in her chest.

_Maybe it's Connor, _her brain started to rationalize. Phoebe knew that it couldn't be Connor. For one thing she didn't expect him home at...she glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand...12:45.

Great. She hadn't been asleep for more than two hours.

_It's just your mind playing tricks, that's all, _Phoebe thought to herself. She had always hated spending the night alone. It was one of the reasons she hadn't moved out of the manor until she found a roommate to share an apartment with.

This was exactly one of the reasons. It wasn't that she was scared. Well, maybe that was part of it. Hearing things that weren't there, making something out of nothing, and then having heart attacks because of them. If it wasn't Connor, then it had to be a stray dog or cat trying to find some food.

Hoping against hope that that was all it was, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her beating heart, and placed her hand on the doorknob.

Another crash caused her to jump a foot in the air. Okay, there was definitely somebody in the house. Somebody who was obviously looking for something. But what?

Trying to present herself as intimidating, she took the gun out of her pajamas and threw the door open before she could convince herself out of it.

But to Phoebe's surprise, there was no one there. At least in the hallway. She held her breath in suspense as she waited for someone to come out into the open. She imagined some masked men surrounding her and threatening to kill her if she didn't cooperate. But she brushed them away, trying to muster as much courage as possible.

She crept into the kitchen, trembling in place, as she looked around. So far she didn't find anything or anyone. She didn't find anything out of place, which she thought was strange since she had definitely heard some crashes. Phoebe could've sworn that the crashes had come from inside the apartment.

It could've come from one of her neighbors, she supposed, but she doubted it. It sounded much too close.

After searching the entire apartment, but finding nothing, she calmed down and brought down the gun. She wanted to laugh at herself for acting so paranoid, and vowed that no one would find out about her moment of vulnerability.

Phoebe went back into the kitchen and poured herself a small glass of wine for her troubles. And to calm her raw nerves. Hopefully it would be enough for her to forget the past couple of minutes.

She downed her wine faster than she intended, and felt the excitement catching up with her. Her eyes began drooping. She washed her wineglass and put it back into the cupboard.

Then she returned to the bedroom, putting the gun back in Connor's sock drawer.

Returning to the bed, she waited up for a couple more minutes just in case she heard any more suspicious activity. When she was convinced that she was the only one in the apartment, she closed her eyes, praying that morning would come soon.

The ringing phone was the next cause for Phoebe to wake up prematurely. Agitated with Connor for calling at this hour, she snatched up the phone and answered.

"Connor, it's three in the morning!" she exclaimed tiredly to the person on the other end.

"Who's Connor?" a strangely familiar voice asked with a hint of amusement.

Phoebe's heart stopped in place. "C-Cole?"

Silence on the other end.

Desperate for acknowledgement, Phoebe tried again. "Cole? Is that you? Please answer me!"

"I'm sorry for calling at three o'clock in the morning, but I had no choice. Listen, Phoebe, I need you to do a favor for me," Cole's voice said, sounding anxious and a bit fearful.

"What? Cole, talk to me. What the hell is going on? You're supposed to be dead!" Phoebe snapped, tired of all this cloak-and-dagger stuff.

"Phoebe, we don't have time for that right now. I need to know if you can meet me at Tony's Records. You remember it, right?" Cole asked impatiently.

"Of course I do. Now answer the question!"

"I can't. Not until we meet. Be there in thirty minutes," Cole muttered cryptically.

Then the line went dead.


	5. Demons And Coincidences

A/N: Thanks to **BrokenxDreams94, StreetButterfly09, Ph33bs, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, qtgirl, lizardmomma, and badgirl4life **for reviewing. I'm glad you guys are liking this story. Hopefully you'll like this chapter as well. Happy reading!

* * *

_Chapter Four_

Phoebe stared at the phone for a good minute, feeling a rainbow of emotions wash over her. She was happy that Cole was alive and relieved that she no longer had to feel sadness and grief every time she thought about him. Most of all, though, she was angry at him for lying to her for twelve years and putting her through hell.

Once she got out of bed she felt as though she were on autopilot. She rushed to the closet and threw on the first things she could find, which was a hot pink tank top and dark red jeans. Phoebe didn't care that she didn't match; she no longer cared about what she wore for him. Well, maybe a little bit, but he didn't have to know that.

Once dressed, she put the pair of hot pink slippers that Connor had bought her on their first date and then grabbed her purse and car keys, and was on her way to the record store where they had first met as kids.

When Phoebe arrived ten minutes later she didn't see Cole anywhere, but she just figured that he was laying low so that no one saw him. She drove to the back of the store and parked her car as close to the street as she could without being seen just in case she needed to make a quick getaway.

Phoebe checked her watch. Three forty-five. Still no sign of Cole. She promised herself that if he didn't show in the next five minutes that she would leave and forget about him.

But not even five seconds after the thought crossed her mind, she saw Cole. He was kneeling by the dumpster, looking more paranoid than Phoebe had ever seen him. His hair was longer than she remembered and a bit disheveled, though it still had that natural spike to it. He seemed to be even taller than she remembered too, hovering a couple inches over six feet. He also had five o'clock shadow, which was a strange look for him since he had always hated having facial hair back in high school.

He didn't seem to have aged at all, and that was what struck Phoebe the most.

Phoebe got out of her car, deciding that confronting him directly was the best way to go about this whole mess. That way, at least he wouldn't be able to come up with an excuse right away.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Calling me at three in the morning, scaring me half to death in the process? Are you crazy?" she yelled, restraining herself from slapping his face.

Cole laughed. "It's nice to see you, too, Phoebe."

Phoebe gritted her teeth. "You think this is some kind of game playing with me like this? You're supposed to be dead! You've let me believe all this time that you were killed in that car crash at the prom all those years ago, and now I find out you're alive, and you have the _nerve _to laugh?" She was seething. She didn't think she had ever been so angry in her entire life.

Cole's face turned serious. "You're right. I'm sorry. Just trying to lighten up the situation, that's all."

"Yeah, well, don't bother. Because I'm out of here. I don't even know why I came here," Phoebe snapped and turned to leave, but Cole grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards him.

"Phoebe, please. Listen to me!"

"Let go of me."

Cole sighed. "Not until you hear me out. I understand that you're angry with me for lying to you. But you have to hear me out."

Phoebe stared at him, knowing he wouldn't back down. "Ten minutes," she muttered.

Smiling, Cole nodded and led her to the back wall of the record store beside the dumpster. Phoebe plugged her nose to the stench of rotting food coming from it.

"What I have to say is going to take a bit longer than ten minutes," he started.

"Then talk fast," Phoebe whispered, feeling her patience weaning thin.

Cole must have sensed it too, for he took a deep breath and began his story. "Okay. Remember that night at the prom out on the tennis courts?"

Phoebe nodded.

"I told you that I wanted to run away with you to New York?" He looked to Phoebe again for confirmation.

Once she nodded again, Cole continued. "Well, it wasn't just so that I could to to college."

He paused, acting as though his excuse were difficult to spill out. But before Phoebe could prod him into continuing, he began again.

"I was sorta trying to...run away from my family."

"Yeah? That was one of the reasons we were going to go, wasn't it? To get away from your parents and my sisters?" Phoebe asked, still waiting for him to get to the reason he had lied to her for twelve years.

"Yes well...it wasn't just my parents, Phoebe. Listen, I'm about to tell you something...pretty unbelievable, but I need for you to just hear me out. No matter how strange it sounds. Can you do that?" he asked.

Phoebe shrugged. "Depends on what you're about to say."

Cole nodded. "Fair enough, I guess. You remember my parents, don't you?"

"Yeah. Your father was nice enough, but your mother was kind of a bitch. She never liked me," Phoebe said as she reminisced about the past. Mrs. Turner and she had never gotten along. Phoebe always had the suspicion that Cole's mother didn't think she was good enough for her son.

"My father was the reason we got into the accident." Cole announced it so suddenly that it took Phoebe a while to register what exactly he had just said.

"Wh-What?" Phoebe finally stammered, putting her hand to her chest.

"Remember how the police could never find the driver of the other limo? How they had classified the accident as a hit-and-run? My father was the driver, and he did it to save my life," Cole said cryptically.

"What the hell are you talking about, Cole? That accident nearly _killed _me, not to mention made me believe you were dead! Now you're telling me that your father was the reason my life nearly came to an end and he did it to _save _you?!" Phoebe was out of her mind with rage.

"Listen, Phoebe, I'm trying to explain this to you without it sounding completely crazy. But you remember my mother. She hated my father, she hated you. She didn't want me going to college and becoming a lawyer because she had other plans for me. Big ones. They would basically make me just like her, only more dangerous and powerful."

"What does that mean?"

Cole sighed. "There's no easy way to say this. Promise me that you won't freak out okay?"

When Phoebe didn't respond, he looked to the ground, and then back into her eyes.

"It means that she wanted me to follow in her footsteps and become a demon."

Phoebe stared at him for a minute, trying to comprehend what Cole had just said.

"A...A what?"

"A demon. You know, a grotesque creature with tons of power who lives in hell? That's what she wanted me to become. Just like her."

"So...so you're saying that you're a demon?" Phoebe asked, wanting to clarify.

"Well...sort of. It's pretty complicated," Cole replied vaguely.

Phoebe nodded. "Okay. Well in that case, I never want to see you again."

She ran away from Cole and hurried back to her car as fast as she could, fumbling with her keys in her haste to get away.

"Phoebe! Phoebe wait, I haven't finished explaining-"

"Cole! Or whoever you are, just stay the hell away from me!" Phoebe snapped, starting her car and driving away, leaving a hurt Cole alone by the dumpster where she had found him.

* * *

When Phoebe got back to the apartment she saw Connor's Jeep parked in his designated space. He was probably out of his mind with worry, especially since he hadn't been able to get a hold of her because she had left her cell phone on the dresser by the bed.

She parked her car next to his and hurried inside the apartment, wanting to get out of everyone's line of sight. Especially Cole. She didn't know if he had followed her or not, but she couldn't assume he hadn't. She had no idea what he was capable of anymore, especially after telling her some whacked out story about demons.

She didn't know how he had gotten the number to the apartment, but the first thing she was going to do once she got back inside was to disconnect the phone so that he wouldn't be able to contact her again.

Phoebe took the stairs up to their second story apartment two at a time. Once she opened the door, she was greeted by a very anxious looking Connor, who scooped her up in a hug.

She hugged him back fiercely, not sure she had ever felt this grateful to have him in her life as she did at that moment.

"Oh thank god! I thought you might have been kidnapped or something. I saw your cell phone where you left it and didn't really know what to do!" he exclaimed, holding on to her tightly.

"It's okay. I'm fine," Phoebe told him.

Once Connor let go, he led her to the sofa. "Where were you, then? I come home to an empty bed and no note..."

"Yeah, Connor, I know. I just...I needed some air, that's all. So I just took a drive."

"At four in the morning?" Connor looked skeptical.

"Yes. There's less traffic. So how did it go at the hospital? Is that little girl going to be okay?" Phoebe asked, changing the subject.

Connor nodded. "Yeah, she woke up around two. She's now in serious condition, but is expected to be okay."

"Well, that's good news. Do the police know who hit the family's car yet?" Phoebe asked.

"No, they're still trying to find the driver. It's strange because that driver had to have been hurt pretty badly, judging from the condition of his car. But it seems as though he just got up and walked away. How is that possible? They're completely stumped. And telling that to a family who almost died because of it...well, let's just say I don't envy having that responsibility," Connor explained.

Suddenly Phoebe was flashing back to her own accident. There were eerie parallels between the two. Both had victims who had nearly lost their lives but hadn't, and had others who had miraculously walked away unscathed. The drivers of both had disappeared without a trace.

It couldn't be a coincidence, could it?

"Phoebe? Are you okay?" Connor asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why don't you go to bed? You look exhausted," Phoebe said, standing up and starting to pace.

"Are you going to join me? You don't have to be to work until what, nine?" Connor asked.

"I'm wide awake. I'm just going to make myself some breakfast and do some web surfing," she replied.

Connor frowned, but nodded. "Yeah, sure, I'm pretty beat. Save me some breakfast, will you?"

"Of course." Phoebe headed for the kitchen while Connor went down the hall to their bedroom.

Phoebe just took an apple out of their fruit basket then went to Connor's laptop. She powered it on and waited while it slowly came to life. She had to do some research on Cole's family. She needed to know if they were still alive, especially Mr. Turner. It couldn't just be a coincidence.

She began searching for a Benjamin Turner from San Francisco, but nothing turned up. She found them dating back to the 1700s and ones born in the nineties. There was nothing on Benjamin Turner who had a son named Cole.

So she searched the accident that night of their prom, hoping that it would have some information on the driver of the other limo and whether or not they had found him. But she just found out that eighteen-year-old Cole Turner had died from the impact. It was like Mr. and Mrs. Turner didn't exist.

Frustrated, Phoebe turned the laptop off and made a pot of coffee. She remembered that Cole's parents seemed to have disappeared right after the funeral. Neither one of them had cried. Mrs. Turner just seemed anxious to have the whole thing over with, and Mr. Turner seemed impatient. Almost as though he had something better to do.

Phoebe remembered thinking that they had acted strangely for the grieving parents of a dead son. She couldn't stop crying at the funeral, and had leaned heavily on Grams and her sisters for support to get past it.

She had meant to say something to Cole's parents, maybe to give them some kind of solace with her words, but she hadn't been able to face them. She had thought that they would resent her for surviving the accident while their son died from it.

Grams had reassured her that it was okay, that they were happy that at least she hadn't died, but Phoebe hadn't been so sure. All she knew was that the funeral was the last place she saw them. And if she wanted to get to the bottom of all this, she needed to talk to Cole again.

Phoebe went to the phone in the living room and pressed redial. Cole picked up after the first ring.

"Phoebe? Is that you?" he asked quickly.

"Yeah. I've decided that I'm going to hear you out. But just so we're clear, this doesn't mean that we're going to pick up where we left off, or that I believe you. I just want to understand what has happened, and doing that means that I need you. Can we meet somewhere this afternoon? Around noon?" Phoebe asked.

"I'll be at the Hilton just off of Broadway Avenue. Room 132," Cole replied.

Phoebe hung up without saying goodbye. _What am I getting myself into, _she thought.


	6. Cole's Confession

A/N: Thanks so much to **singleladie4ev., lizardmomma, qtgirl, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, **and** PhoebeColefan **reviewing. You guys make my day! I'm glad you all liked the previous chapter. This one offers a more in-depth explanation from Cole, hence the chapter title. Don't forget to drop me a line, and happy reading!

* * *

_Chapter Five_

When Phoebe left for work later that morning at nine a.m, Connor was still asleep. She didn't want to wake him up, so she let him be. Once she got to work, Elise stormed over to her, obviously in one of her fits.

"What happened yesterday? You tell me you're in an accident, then you suddenly pop back in just minutes later acting as if nothing is wrong! What is going on with you?" she asked, raising her voice with each word she said.

Phoebe took a deep breath, preparing herself for the interrogation Elise was about to give her.

"I just got light-headed at lunch. It wasn't as serious as it first seemed," Phoebe replied lamely. She didn't really expect her boss to believe her, but it wasn't as though she would tell her the truth. 'I ran into my dead ex-boyfriend and then fainted' just didn't seem like a sane answer.

Elise stared at her like she was crazy. "Light-headed?"

Phoebe simply nodded, aware of every person in the main office staring at her questioningly.

Elise nodded thoughtfully. "Well, then it isn't anything too serious. Certainly nothing to get worked up about. As long as you're okay then I guess that's all that matters." Then she turned to everyone who was pretending not to listen. "We have a deadline, people."

Her voice dripped with venom, and it got everyone to hurry back to their stories. Phoebe quietly slipped away from Elise and into her office and sat down in her usual seat in front of her computer. She turned the computer on and opened the file that contained her article for the next issue.

All morning she tried to concentrate, but it proved to be impossible since her mind kept traveling to that afternoon's meeting with Cole.

She wasn't expecting anything out of it except perhaps a headache. Honestly she wasn't even sure why she had called him and set it up. Mostly likely she was just setting herself up for more heartache and disappointment. But when it came to Cole, it didn't matter. He had taken up five years of her life. She needed to at least hear him out.

Phoebe had Julie take messages instead of taking her calls herself. She couldn't afford any interruptions, especially since this particular column was hanging by a thread as it was. And she didn't really want to talk to anyone. It was a well known fact that Phoebe couldn't keep a secret, and blurting out that Cole Turner was back from the dead might cause problems for them both down the road.

Once it was 11:45, Phoebe saved her file and let her assistant know that she was leaving. She didn't want to be late to her meeting with Cole, and since the Hilton on Broadway Avenue wasn't all that close to the office, she wanted to give herself as much traffic time as possible.

Luckily there wasn't that much afternoon traffic. Most people were taking advantage of the nice weather and were walking. Phoebe got to Cole's hotel right at noon.

She found room 132 easily since it was on the ground floor. She raised her hand to knock, but Cole opened it before she got the chance to.

He opened it all the way and Phoebe hurried in as though fearful that she had been followed.

"Glad to see you changed your mind," Cole started, making his way to the bed nearest the window.

"I haven't made up my mind yet, Cole. And let's not waste our time with pointless banter. We're long past that," Phoebe replied, a little more harshly then she had intended.

Cole nodded. "Okay. Then let's just get to the point. Why exactly are you here?"

"Because I want the truth. And, like it or not, you're the only person who can give it to me," Phoebe answered, sitting on the bed closest to the door and turned so that she was facing him.

"The truth. Phoebe, I already told you the truth. It's your decision whether you want to believe it or not," Cole said.

Phoebe felt anger worm its way into her system, but she took the time to calm herself down before she answered. She didn't want this to be a waste of time.

"It's not that I don't believe you, Cole. I don't know _what _to believe. All I know is that I bumped into you at that restaurant, and you seemed to be in a hurry. Almost as if you were running from someone. And then there's an accident not even an hour later; an accident that is nearly identical to the one we were in all those years ago."

Cole sighed and looked to the ground. He had obviously not been expecting that. "Car accidents occur everyday, Phoebe. They're quite common. What makes you think it had anything to do with me?"

"So you aren't denying there was an accident?" Phoebe asked quickly.

Cole hesitated. "Look. I'm trying to explain to you everything that's been happening. But it's complicated. If you expect the truth, and to understand it, then you need to listen to me. And no interruptions. Do you think you can do that?"

He met her square in the eye, and Phoebe could tell that all traces of humor in him were gone. She nodded.

"Good. My parents weren't exactly a match made in heaven, but you already know that. My father was human. He loved me as any father loves his son. He looked out for me and protected me, as much as he could anyway. But my mother...she was a demon. That's the truth," Cole started.

Phoebe tried to understand what he was saying. But she had so many questions. How could Cole's mother be demon when she looked human? She wanted to ask him, but knew he wouldn't like it, so she let him continue.

"She hated humans. Said they were weak, despicable creatures. But despite that, she fell in love with my father, though the love didn't last long. I think it disappeared once she had me. She wanted to raise me in the underworld with all the other demons and raise me as one of them. But my father didn't want that. What kind of father would? He wanted me to have a normal life, without demons and magic, and energy balls..."

"Energy balls?" Phoebe blurted out.

"Yeah, it's a demonic power. A lot of demons have them, my mother included. Anyway, he didn't want that life for me, but my mother threatened him constantly. She said that I was one of the most powerful demons of all time, destined for great things. She thought I was wasting my time on the surface, going to school, having friends." He stopped and looked at her, lowering his voice. "Dating you."

Phoebe's face heated up, but didn't say anything. She remembered feeling Mrs. Turner's hatred every time she looked at her. She never could understand why.

"So during senior year, she threatened my father, saying that she would take me to the underworld when neither of us expected it, and there was nothing he could do about it. My father knew she was serious, so that was when he devised the plan to have me 'die' in a car accident. Everyone would believe I was dead, including my mother, and no more demons would come after us."

"They were coming after you? I thought you said your mother just wanted you to go with her," Phoebe asked, confused.

"Yeah, but that didn't stop other demons from shimmering into our house and try to take me on their own. I wouldn't ever go with them though. Sometimes..." he hesitated, as though ashamed of what he was about to say next. "Sometimes I would use my powers and...vanquish them."

He shuddered, obviously reliving a bad memory, so Phoebe didn't push him. She didn't really know what to say.

But he continued a moment later. "I wanted to tell you, of course, but my father wouldn't allow it. He said that in order for the plan to work, no one but he could know I would still be alive. But I couldn't stand the thought of being away from you. Every time I imagined what my life would be like without you in it...I couldn't stand it.

"That was when I got the idea of running away with you. I knew you weren't happy, what with your sisters and grandmother breathing down your neck. We were both suffering, and I wanted to end it. So I thought that running away with you to New York would be the perfect solution."

He paused, and Phoebe took the opportunity to relive that moment at the prom when he had asked her. She had been so excited at the prospect of running away. So had he. New York was far and full of opportunity.

"But somehow my father found out. To this day I don't know how. I guess that he must've been expecting me to try and run away, so he carried out the plan at the prom so I wouldn't be expecting it. But the one thing I'm absolutely sure about, Phoebe, is that he didn't know you were in the limo with me. Otherwise he wouldn't have done it. The last thing that was supposed to happen was you getting hurt because of me..."

He trailed off again. Phoebe walked over to him and sat down beside him, stroking his back.

"It's okay. I know he wouldn't have."

Cole nodded and looked up again, meeting her eye. "When I found out you were hospitalized in critical condition, I was beside myself. I begged my father to let me see you one last time, just in case you...you know. But he wouldn't allow it. He said it would screw up the plan. But you have to know that he was drowning in his own guilt," he explained.

Phoebe nodded. "Well, I made it. That's the important thing."

"Yeah, thank god."

They sat in silence after that for a while, Phoebe trying to take in everything that Cole had just said.

"So..." Phoebe said after a couple of minutes. "Your mother was a demon."

The two burst out laughing, and Phoebe was glad that the mood had lifted a little bit.

"Yeah. It explains so much, doesn't it?" Cole asked.

Phoebe nodded. "So, is she still alive? I mean, do demons die?"

Cole shrugged. "It depends on how powerful they are. My mother has been in the Underworld ever since the accident. She still thinks I'm dead, and that's how I plan on keeping it. But she's still alive."

Phoebe shuddered at the thought. Mrs. Turner had always managed to scare her to some degree back in high school. Now, knowing the truth about her, made her seem that much more dangerous.

"And your father? Is he still alive?"

"No. He passed away just last week," Cole answered. "That's the main reason I came back to San Francisco. I wanted to find you and explain to you what happened. You deserved the truth."

Phoebe nodded, knowing there was more to the story than that. But she didn't want to push it.

"You still haven't answered one question, though," Phoebe pointed out, leaning closer to him.

"And what might that be?"

"The accident the other day by the restaurant. Were you the driver who ran into that family?" she asked.

"Yes."

Phoebe frowned and pulled away from him. "Why? What happened to you that you needed to get away so quickly?"

Cole sighed. "I wasn't ready to see you yet. When I bumped into you...it was just as much a shock to me as it was to you, Phoebe. I thought if I could get away fast enough that you might have passed me off as a look-alike or something. The accident was just that. I didn't mean to hit them. And what choice did I have but to run away? It would've been suspicious if they had found me with no visible wounds while the occupants of the other car were barely clinging to life."

"So is that another demonic power?"

"What?"

"Invincibility," Phoebe clarified.

Cole laughed. "No. I am definitely not invincible. But I also don't get hurt just from getting into a car accident. I was sore, yes, but that's from my human half. It takes a bit more to hurt a demon."

"Oh." Phoebe nodded as though she understood what he was saying, but she didn't. She hardly understood any of it.

"So demons exist. You're a demon, and you've spent the last twelve years running from your evil destiny," Phoebe went on, wanting to make sure she got the gist of his explanation.

"Yes," Cole said simply.

"Ah. Then just answer me one final question," she said.

"Anything."

"What exactly is your evil destiny?" she asked.

Cole sighed. "I was really hoping you wouldn't ask that."

"Why?" she asked, alarmed by the change in his tone of voice.

He stared at her in the eye, his gaze turning harder. He looked different then, and it was beginning to scare her. But she wouldn't back down.

"Why?" she asked again, demanding an answer.

"My evil destiny is to find and destroy the Charmed Ones," he answered with much more malice.

"Who are they?" Phoebe asked, although she seemed to know the answer before he said it.

"You and your sisters."


	7. Summoning The Dead

A/N: So magic finally makes an appearance. Honestly, I wasn't sure how it would go over. I'm glad that you all seem to be enjoying it! Thanks to **BrokenxDreams94, qtgirl, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, PhoebeColefan, lizardmomma, StreetButterfly09, **and** Singleladie4ev. **for reviewing. Don't forget to drop me a line, and happy reading!

* * *

_Chapter Six_

"I'm outta here." Phoebe hurried to the door, grabbing onto the doorknob. She was about to throw it open and run out of the hotel as fast as possible when Cole's hand gently touched hers, stopping her.

"Phoebe, wait. Please."

"No, Cole. I've heard enough. Either what you're saying is the truth and you brought me here to kill me, or you're completely delusional. Now let me go."

Phoebe's heart was beating madly in her chest, and she sounded much braver than she felt. The truth was, she believed Cole. He had never been one to lie to her, except of course the being dead for twelve years thing, and he was so serious.

But did she really expect him to kill her? He had so many opportunities before. Back at the record store when they had been in the back alley at the early hours of the morning. That would have been the perfect time. But so was now. After all, nobody knew where she was, or who she was with. Cole could just snap her neck and be off and no one would be the wiser.

"I'm sorry, Phoebe, but I can't let you go," Cole whispered, pulling her back into the room.

"Wh-Why?" Phoebe asked, alarmed. This was it. This had to be it. Cole was going to kill her now. Why else would he have divulged his secret to her.

Cole picked up on Phoebe's fear, for he sat her back down on the bed and sat on the opposite one, his hands in the air.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"Oh yeah? It's a little late for that, don't you think?"

"No. If I was going to hurt you, don't you think I would have done so by now?" Cole threw back, sounding exasperated.

"Physically, maybe," Phoebe threw back. "So, what was it you called me? A Charmed...."

"A Charmed One. And I told you because you deserved to know. And besides that, it's about time you learned that demons exist. You and your sisters are the most powerful force for good there is. It's your duty to protect the innocent against them."

Phoebe gave Cole a bitter smile. "If my sisters and I are as powerful as you say we are, then why hasn't anyone told us before? Like, oh I don't know, my _grandmother? _You'd think it would've come up in conversation!"

"I know it's hard to believe. But it's true. You, Piper, and Prue were born witches. You come from a long line of witches. Your entire family has been battling evil for centuries," Cole explained.

"Well, then maybe that's why we all seem to die so early. Listen, I've enjoyed the story. And I actually believed it too, for a while. But what you're saying is insane. My sisters and I aren't witches. So why don't you do me a favor and stay the hell away from me?" Phoebe snapped, and she stood up, grabbed her purse, and made for the door once more.

Cole followed, though he didn't make a move to stop her. "If this is about what I said earlier, about it being my destiny to find and kill you..."

"That's why you're going to stay away from me. If you come near me anymore, Cole, I swear to god I'll call the police and file a restraining order. That's what happens when someone gives a death threat to someone else," Phoebe said, cold hard malice in her voice.

"If I told you that I could prove it to you, would you believe me then?" Cole tried again as Phoebe was about to leave.

Phoebe turned around. "Prove it? How?"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Cole stepped closer to his former girlfriend and lowered his voice so that no one could overhear them.

"There's this book called the Book Of Shadows. It's rumored to be the most powerful book out there. It's been in your family for generations. It's full of spells and information on all kinds of demons and warlocks," he held up a hand for Phoebe to stay silent since she opened her mouth to speak, "and I've heard that there is a spell in there to summon the dead."

"You mean, bring them back to life?" Phoebe was skeptical.

"No, not necessarily. They stay as long as you want. But we could summon your grandmother long enough to find out the truth. If she denies that you and your sisters are witches, then I'll be out of your life for good and you'll never hear from me again. But if she tells you that you are witches, then I get to stay. Fair enough?" Cole asked.

Phoebe mulled it over in her head. She wanted to walk away from him without giving him an answer and and turn her back on everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. She was a successful advice columnist who was happily engaged to a wonderful man. She didn't need any of this...supernatural drama in her life.

But deep down, she already knew the truth, and turning her back on it would mean turning her back on innocent people. And she wasn't ready to face that.

"Okay," Phoebe reluctantly agreed.

Cole beamed and grabbed his jacket from the coat rack by the door. He locked it, then moved to closer to Phoebe, putting his arm around her torso.

* * *

Later that day, after Phoebe got off work, she and Cole were walking up the driveway of Halliwell Manor.

Phoebe wished she had called Piper before showing up unexpectedly on her and Leo's doorstep. Piper was the only sister who still lived at the manor. Grams had left it to all four of them in the will, but Prue, Phoebe, and Paige had all disappeared as quickly as they could, leaving Piper all the responsibility the house required.

Piper was going to faint once she saw Cole. But Phoebe wasn't going to rub her nose in it. They had far too serious matters on their hands. Well, as serious as one could take them. She could only hope Piper wouldn't disown her for even suggesting something so ludicrous.

"Are you sure this Book of Shadows thing is in the house? I grew up here, and I gotta tell you that I don't remember ever seeing something like that," Phoebe said as they approached the porch.

"Yes. It's in the attic. Your grams must have kept it locked when she was alive and sealed it off when she died. Why do you think you were never allowed in there?" Cole asked, causing Phoebe to flash back to her childhood of wondering what was in the attic. Every time she had asked Grams about the attic, she would become evasive and tell her to run along and play with her sisters.

Phoebe didn't reply. There really was nothing to say. At least not yet. Before she could change her mind, she rang the doorbell and waited for Piper or Leo to answer.

A couple of seconds later, Piper opened the door. When she saw Phoebe, she looked shocked, but when she saw Cole, her face contorted in a mixture of fear and confusion.

"Phoebe? What the hell is going on? What are you doing here?" she asked. Despite everything that had happened, Phoebe felt guilt for not visiting Piper enough.

"Hey, Piper. Sorry for not calling, but something's come up," Phoebe said in greeting, giving her older sister a quick hug.

Piper returned it only half-heartedly. "You didn't answer my question."

"I know, and I'm sorry about that. Can we come in first? It's important," Phoebe replied.

Piper opened the door wider so that Cole and Phoebe could get inside. When Cole passed her, she couldn't help but stare at him in bewilderment.

"So, what's going on?" Piper asked again.

Phoebe took a deep breath. "Okay. Here goes. This is going to sound pretty ridiculous and unbelievable. And if you want to take it with a grain of salt, I would completely understand. In fact, what I'm about to tell you, _I _don't even fully believe, so..."

"Phoebe, you're rambling. Just tell me," Piper interrupted her, crossing her arms over her chest.

Phoebe gulped. "Cole is a demon. He says that we're witches, that you, me, Paige, and Prue are witches too. And I didn't really believe him, so he said that there was a spell in this book called the Book of Shadows that will allow us to contact Grams somehow and ask her ourselves."

Piper raised an eyebrow, and smirked in amusement. "Phoebe. Did somebody spike your iced tea?"

"Piper, I'm serious."

Piper burst out laughing. "That's a good one, Pheebs. Pretty creative. Demons and witches."

"She is serous, Piper. And the more we stand around wasting time laughing about it, the more danger we are in. Now that one of the Charmed Ones knows about the magical world, demons could attack you anytime and and anywhere. The only way to protect yourselves is to come to terms with it and receive your powers so that you're better prepared!" Cole interrupted, his voice dripping with impatience.

Phoebe and Piper stared at him but didn't dare say anything.

"We need to get to the Book of Shadows and summon Grams, that way she can explain everything better to you and help you receive your powers. After that, you need to go to Prue. She's the third Charmed One," Cole went on, lowering his voice somewhat.

"Where exactly is this Book of Shadows, or whatever it's called?" Piper grumbled, staring at the floor.

"In the attic. Have you been in there yet?" Phoebe asked.

Together Cole, Phoebe, and Piper turned and headed upstairs towards the attic. "No. Leo and I have tried everything and it won't budge," Piper replied.

"If need be, I can become my demonic self and burst it open," Cole offered.

Both Phoebe and Piper glared at him in reply.

But when they reached the third floor, all three of them looked at the door in shock. The attic door had opened just an inch or so, allowing the sisters a glimpse into the room neither of them had been allowed in as children.

"How did that..."

"Magic," Cole responded.

A strange feeling began worming its way into Phoebe's stomach. Piper must've felt it too, because her hand was on her belly, and she was looking around the attic in awe.

_Maybe what Cole's saying is true, _Phoebe thought. _Maybe magic does exist._

"There doesn't look to be anything out of the ordinary in here. Just boxes and boxes of junk," Piper pointed out.

Phoebe silently agreed. There were no witchy things anywhere. Just boxes of old clothes and toys, a pedestal, and an old trunk.

Only the thing that stood out about the trunk was that it was glowing. "Uh, Piper. I think I found something," Phoebe said.

Piper and Cole turned in Phoebe's direction. Cole was the first one to move. He slowly opened the trunk and leaned down in a dramatic gesture. Then he yelled out in pain.

"Cole. What's wrong?" Phoebe asked, rushing over to his side.

Looking disgusted, Piper took his place and took out the content of the trunk. To Phoebe's surprise, it was a large dark green book with a triquetra on the cover.

"Is that it?" Phoebe asked.

Breathing heavily, Cole nodded. "Oh yeah. That's it."

"What hurt you? Was it a spider or something?" Phoebe asked.

Cole shook his head. "No. Demons and other evil creatures aren't allowed to touch the Book of Shadows."

Piper snorted. "How can a book know who's evil and who isn't?"

"It just does. It's very powerful," Cole answered.

Phoebe moved closer to Piper to look at the Book of Shadows. "Why didn't Grams tell us about it?" she muttered, more to herself than to Cole and Piper.

"Why don't you ask her yourselves? Find the summoning spell," Cole said, standing up and facing them. He didn't move too close, though, not wanting to risk another 'attack.'

Phoebe and Piper flipped through the pages. Phoebe wished she had about ten more pairs of eyes so that she could look at everything at once. It was all so cool. There were all kinds of spells she wanted to try, and pages on all kinds of creatures, evil and good.

After a minute or so of flipping through the book, Phoebe announced, "I think I found it."

They all looked at the page. 'To Summon the Dead.' Phoebe felt a burst of adrenaline run through her. Either this was some elaborate hoax by Cole who wanted them to look like gullible idiots, or it was real.

Phoebe couldn't wait to try it. "Piper, we need some white candles. Do you have any?" she asked.

"Yeah, actually, I do. Hold on, let me go get them," Piper said, then hurried back downstairs.

Cole stepped closer to Phoebe, careful to avoid the book. "So do you believe me yet, Phoebe?"

"Let's just wait to see what Grams says first, Cole. Okay?" she asked, not yet ready to admit to Cole that he was most likely right.

Cole nodded. They stood in an awkward silence until Piper returned, holding five rather large candles.

"They were a gift from Leo for our anniversary," Piper explained before either Phoebe or Cole could ask.

She set them in a circle on the floor and then went to stand by Phoebe.

"Are you ready?" Phoebe asked her sister.

Piper nodded. "Let's just do this. Though I doubt anything will happen."

They turned their attention back to the page that had the spell for summoning the dead. Looking at each other warily, they began chanting their first spell.

'_Hear these words, hear my cry,_

_Spirit from the other side,_

_Come to me, I summon thee, _

_Cross now the Great Divide.'_

To Phoebe's astonishment, a swirl of white lights appeared in the circle, and a minute later, a transparent Grams appeared before them.

"Piper! Phoebe! What in the world?" she asked, looking as surprised to see them as they were to see her.

"Grams!" they exclaimed. Phoebe looked to Cole, who was beaming with pride.

"How did I get back here? Did you girls perform a seance?" Grams asked, looking around the attic, though it was obvious that she was trying to pretend that she didn't know Piper and Phoebe had summoned her.

"No. We summoned you with a little spell we found in the Book of Shadows. Mind telling us what that's all about?" Phoebe demanded.

"I...uh...I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh come on Grams. You've always been a lousy liar. You know perfectly well what we're talking about," Piper retorted.

Grams sighed. "Okay, okay. If you found the Book of Shadows, then that means it's time for you girls to finally learn the truth."

"The truth about what?" Phoebe asked.

Grams frowned, not looking happy about what she was about to say. "That you girls are witches."

"So it's true?" Phoebe blurted out, too stunned to fully realize what Grams was saying.

"You mean you already knew?" Grams looked skeptical.

"Well, that part is complicated. Why didn't you tell us?" Phoebe demanded, feeling a bit hurt by Grams' omission.

Grams sighed. "I was protecting you. After your mother was killed, I couldn't bear the same thing happening to you. Even though I knew that you two and Prue were destined to become the Charmed Ones, I didn't want to risk losing you."

"Are you saying that Mom didn't really drown?" Piper asked.

"No, she did. But it wasn't an accident like you were led to believe. A demon killed her. A demon she was supposed to be fighting. But it got the best of her."

Piper and Phoebe looked at each other in shock.

"The night after Patty's funeral, I made a potion that would permanently strip you from your powers. I didn't you girls to ever find out you were witches. I couldn't take that chance. You didn't deserve to die young. Not like Patty," Grams went on.

Phoebe couldn't remember Grams ever sounding so defeated. It brought tears to her eyes just seeing her like this.

"But obviously the potion didn't work. I mean, if we lost our powers then how come we were able to summon you?" Piper asked.

"Well, I didn't want you to become the Charmed Ones, but I didn't want you to be completely defenseless either, should a demon ever attack. So I created a little spell that, should you ever find the Book of Shadows or be made aware of your destiny, your powers would be restored." She paused, and looked around the room. "Are you two the only ones here?"

Piper and Phoebe nodded. "We're the only ones who know. We only found out today."

"Then you must tell Prue and Paige. A demon could attack them any time now that you two know. They'll be coming into their powers today as well, and if they don't know what to expect, they could get into some serious danger," Grams explained.

"Wait. Hold on a second. Did you say that Prue, Piper, and I are the Charmed Ones? How does Paige mix into all this?" Phoebe asked.

For the first time since she was summoned, Grams smiled. "She's one of your Whitelighters. She's supposed to watch out for you. As is Leo."

At this Piper turned sharply on Grams. "Leo as in my Leo?"

Grams nodded. "How do you think you two met? He was sent to guide you and look out for you. He and Paige are...I guess you could say your guardian angels."

"This is so much to take in," Phoebe muttered, sitting down in an armchair by the window.

"I know, sweetie. But this is no time to fight it. You are who you are. You can't change it." Grams looked at Piper and Phoebe sympathetically. "It's a lot, but you can handle it. Just take baby steps. Go to Prue and Paige. You're strongest when you're together."

Phoebe stole a glance at Cole. He was standing by the attic door, staying silent so that Grams wouldn't notice him.

"I must go now, girls. But remember that I'm hear for you if you need me, and that the Power of Three will set you free." And with that, the white lights returned and she was gone.

"What the hell does that mean?" Phoebe asked, frowning.

"It means we're screwed," Piper replied.


	8. The Power Of Three

A/N: I'm glad everyone liked the previous chapter. But to qtgirl and PhoebeColefan, this chapter has more Cole and Phoebe moments! Thanks to **Joseph Santiago, qtgirl, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, PhoebeColefan, **and **lizardmomma **for reviewing. Hope you all like the next chapter! Happy reading.

* * *

_Chapter Seven_

Phoebe and Cole stayed in the attic while Piper went downstairs to take time and sort out everything Grams had just told them. Cole was waiting for Phoebe to say something, but she wasn't sure what to say.

She was still sitting in the chair she had sat in while talking to Grams. She felt as though if she got up she might faint. Learning she was a witch who was meant to fight evil made everything more complicated. Yet a part of her felt strangely excited by it. Like her life now had purpose.

After minutes of silence, Cole finally stepped closer to her, testing his boundaries. "Phoebe, are you okay?" he asked, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Phoebe didn't pull away. She didn't want to. Now that she knew the truth...it made everything different.

"Yeah, considering. I'm just processing everything in my head. It's a lot to take in," she said, resting her own hand on his.

"I know how you feel. When I found out I was half-demon, I couldn't believe it, either. Especially my mother telling me I was destined to become evil."

"Hey. You most definitely aren't evil. If you were, you wouldn't have led Piper and I to our destiny."

"I wanted you to know just in case I...you know...tried to kill you," he told her, sounding ashamed of himself.

"You wouldn't have," Phoebe said with certainty.

"How do you know?"

"I just do. I have this feeling that you weren't going to. And that you won't ever," Phoebe replied.

She stood up and turned to face him. "Didn't Grams say that we each had powers?"

Cole frowned, thinking back. "Yeah, she did. Why?"

"Well, if we're supposed to gain our powers back now that we know we're witches then where are they?" she asked, looking confused.

Cole shrugged. "You'll get them. It'll just take some time."

"Yeah, but what if a demon attacks?"

"Then I'll protect you." Cole wrapped his arms around Phoebe's waist and touched his head to hers. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Phoebe smiled and returned his hug. "I know."

But as she hugged him, she was overcome with nausea, and her head spun with dizziness. She closed her eyes and instantly was flooded with visions in her head.

_Her sister Prue being thrown to the floor by an ordinary looking man. Only the man was holding what looked like fire in his hands. He let out a sinister laugh then threw the fire to Prue, who instantly became engulfed._

Phoebe was pulled out of the vision, breathing heavily. She would've fell to the floor if not for Cole holding onto her arms, keeping her upright.

"Phoebe, what is it?" Cole asked. Phoebe could hear the concern in his voice.

"I-I don't know what happened. I was talking to you and then I..." she trailed off, not quite sure how to describe it.

"What? Phoebe, what happened?" Cole repeated.

"Prue. She's in trouble. We have to go to her!" Phoebe exclaimed, panic filling her voice.

"Okay. Hurry and get Piper. If what you're saying is true then we don't have a lot of time."

"Why? Do you know who is attacking her?" Phoebe demanded.

"No, but the attack might be happening now, and you might need the Power of Three. Go now!" Cole explained quickly, motioning for Phoebe to leave the attic.

Phoebe ran downstairs to the second floor. "Piper! Piper, we need to leave!"

She found Piper in the kitchen cooking something in a large pot. "Piper, Prue's in trouble. I can't explain now, just trust me. We need to get to Cole so we can get to Prue's apartment."

"What? Is it a demon?" Piper asked, looking fearful.

"I don't know. I think so. But we need to leave now. Do you know where she lives?" Phoebe asked as they met Cole by the front door.

"Yeah. You don't?" Piper looked disbelieving.

"We can talk about that later. Right now we need to get to Prue."

Cole was coming down the stairs as the sisters hurried to the front door. Piper rummaged through her purse for her car keys.

"You don't really think we're driving, do you?" Cole asked.

Phoebe and Piper both stared at him incredulously. "How else are we going to get there?" Piper asked.

"I can shimmer us there. We can get there in a second," Cole said and went to stand between Phoebe and Piper and linked arms with them.

"Is that like, magical transportation?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah, in a way. Listen, when we get there, you can't let whatever we might find startle you. You need to be able to fight together in order to vanquish whatever demon is after Prue. I'll help you guys however I can, but you might need the Power of Three. That means that only you two and Prue can vanquish him," Cole said.

"If you're trying to scare us, you should know that it's working," Phoebe mumbled.

"I'm not. I'm just trying to prepare you. Are you ready?" he asked, addressing both of them.

"We're as ready as we're going to get. Let's just go," Piper replied.

Phoebe nodded in agreement, and the next thing she knew she felt her stomach flutter for the second time, and she felt like she was going to throw up. Luckily the feeling didn't last long. She looked around a second later and saw that Cole had shimmered them into a gorgeous living room with paintings decorating the walls, a white cushioned sofa with a clean coffee table in front of it. Various magazines were stacked neatly on top of it.

Phoebe knew without asking that they were inside Prue and Andy's house. Only Prue and Andy were nowhere to be found.

"Prue? Prue, are you here?" Piper called.

Phoebe looked at Cole in alarm. "Are we too late?" she asked, not quite able to bring herself to look around beyond the living room.

Both Piper and Phoebe's questions were answered by an agitated voice coming from the second floor.

"Who's down there?" Even though Prue and Phoebe hadn't spoken in years, Phoebe would recognize her oldest sister's voce anywhere.

"Prue, it's us. Phoebe and me," Piper answered for them.

Phoebe leaned in closer to Cole, not wanting to face Prue yet. In response, Cole wrapped his arm around Phoebe's shoulder.

Prue entered the living room holding a baseball bat in her hands. She was in a silk nightgown, which told Phoebe that they had crashed something quite important.

"Piper? What are you doing here?" Prue asked. She looked past Piper and when she saw Phoebe and Cole standing together her face paled. And then she fainted.

All three of them immediately rushed over to Prue. "Prue! Wake up!" Piper exclaimed.

"What the hell is going on? Who's there?" Another familiar voice demanded, and a second later Andy entered the living room, shirtless.

"Andy, Prue fainted," Phoebe said.

"What?" Andy fell to his knees and checked his wife's pulse.

Prue stirred a second later and Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief.

"Prue, it's just us. We came here to tell you something," Piper said softly.

When Prue saw Cole again, she stood up. "You! I don't know who you think you are, but stay away from us!" she snapped.

"Prue, it's okay. It's Cole," Phoebe said.

"Cole's dead. How can he be here if he's dead?" she said, sounding more angry then fearful.

"It's okay. Clearly I'm not de..."

The next thing Phoebe saw was Cole being thrown across the room and crashing into a bookshelf.

"Cole! Are you all right?" Phoebe rushed over to him. She touched her hands to his cheeks and her head close to his, about to kiss him. But instead she turned around, afraid that it had been the demon and now he was going after someone else.

All she saw, though, was Piper looking shocked, a fearful Andy, and Prue, who was glaring at Cole. "Who did that?" Phoebe demanded of the three of them.

She figured that it had been Andy since he was the only one strong enough to throw someone like that, but it had clearly not been him since he was on the other side of the living room, standing behind Prue and Piper.

"Don't look at me!" Piper exclaimed.

"It was Prue," Cole said from behind Phoebe.

"Prue? How could she have?" Phoebe asked, looking at her oldest sister.

"I could sense her power from the moment we shimmered here. Her power comes from her eyes. She threw me with her telekinesis," Cole said, staring hardly at Prue.

"Power? Telekinesis? What the hell are you talking about?" Prue snapped, holding the bat up to keep Cole away from her.

Cole sighed. "We don't have time to explain. Just know that a demon is on its way here to attack you. You, Piper, and Phoebe need to use the Power of Three to vanquish him."

Prue turned to Andy, then to her sisters. "Are dead people able to take drugs?"

"Prue, believe it or not, it's true. I saw it. He's going to throw fire at you, and you're going to die," Phoebe said, which shut everyone up.

"I think they're all on drugs. You all need to leave. Now," Andy finally said. He took Piper and Phoebe's arms and started to lead them to the door, but they both pulled away.

"It's true! Prue, you need to..."

Cole was thrown across the room again, and this time Phoebe saw her glare at him, causing him to land on the pile of wood which used to be the shelves.

"Prue, stop doing that! He's telling you the truth, and he's the only one who knows what to do to stop the demon!" Phoebe snapped, rushing to Cole's side once again.

"A demon?" Prue asked incredulously. She didn't seem all that surprised that she had been able to telepathically attack Cole. That surprised Phoebe.

But before she could react, a demon shimmered into the room. Instantly Andy ran from the room and Phoebe had a feeling he was going to dial 911. Cole stood up and threw an energy ball at him, but it merely bounced off him.

"Oh my god!" Piper exclaimed, and held up her hands in front of her.

Then a strange thing happened.

The demon froze while in the act of forming a fireball in his hands. He was looking at Prue. Piper froze him just as Phoebe's premonition was about to come true.

"Whoa...what happened?" Phoebe asked, circling the demon and staring at him, wanting to be ready in case he came to life again.

"I think I froze him," Piper said in shock, staring at her hands, which were still up in front of her.

"Then your powers are restored. Which means you can vanquish him before he can do any more damage," Cole pointed out.

"How do we do that?" Phoebe asked.

"I don't know. I figured you guys would know once you the Power of Three became fully restored," Cole said, staring at the three sisters.

"I'm sorry, what?" Phoebe hissed.

She glanced at Prue and Piper, who looked just as worried as she did. "How do we vanquish him if we don't even know how to do it?" she asked.

"Wait! We do know how to vanquish him!" Piper suddenly exclaimed. "Phoebe, remember what Grams said? 'The Power of Three will set you free?'"

"Grams? What do you mean Grams?" Prue asked, confused.

"Not now. Just say it with us. 'The Power of Three will set us free.'" Phoebe said. The three sisters moved closer together and stared at the demon and began chanting.

"The Power of Three will set us free! The Power of Three will set us free!" They continued chanting and watched as the demon unfroze but caught on fire.

"NO!" he yelled, and a moment later exploded in a brilliant yellow light. Phoebe was relieved to see that he left no traces that he had ever been there.

"Whoa," they all said together, staring at the place the demon had just been.

Phoebe walked over to Cole and hugged him, never feeling so grateful to have him near. "What would we have done without you?" she murmured, aware that Prue and Piper were watching her.

"You'd have done fine," Cole replied, stroking her back.

"But still. Promise you won't ever leave again," Phoebe said, looking up into his eyes.

Cole smiled. "I promise."

Everyone jumped as the door was busted down and two police officers came in, yielding guns.

"Everybody freeze! Don't move!" the first one yelled.

Andy came downstairs, pointing to Piper, Phoebe, and Cole. "They're the intruders. Arrest them!"

"Andy!" everyone said in shock as the police officers led the two younger sisters and Cole outside.

"You three are going to have to come downtown with us," the second police officer said.

"You all have some explaining to do."


	9. Seeing Hard Truths

A/N: Well, I was a little disappointed by the lack of reviews for the last chapter. But I know that there are still people reading. Reviews are deeply appreciated. Thanks to **lizardmomma **and **Draco's-Loyal-Longing **for reviewing. Hope everyone likes this chapter. Happy reading.

* * *

_Chapter Eight_

Phoebe, Cole, and Piper were all in one squad car as they were driven downtown. They hadn't been arrested, much to Phoebe's surprise. To her left, she could feel Piper seething.

"I can't believe Andy called the cops on us," Piper muttered indignantly.

"Can you blame him?" Phoebe asked.

"But he knows us! He practically grew up with us!" Piper retorted.

"He was scared, that's all. Everything was happening so fast. What would you have done?" Phoebe reasoned.

"I wouldn't have called the cops on family," Piper snapped, and Phoebe knew that was the end of the conversation. She turned to Cole, who gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. Everything will turn out okay," he said comfortingly.

Phoebe only held him closer. She didn't want to let him go.

The drive to the police station didn't take that long, only fifteen minutes. When they got there, the officers helped Cole, Phoebe, and Piper out of the car. They weren't handcuffed, which Phoebe took as a sign that they weren't being arrested for anything. Probably just questioned or so. Hopefully that was all it was.

"You three aren't being charged for anything. Not yet, anyway. We just want to ask you a few questions. Separately, if you don't mind," the first police officer, a large balding man said.

Phoebe didn't respond, and neither did her sister or boyfriend. Phoebe let the bald officer lead her into the first interrogation room. She sat in the uncomfortable brown wooden chair in the center behind a metal table that she had seen so many times on TV.

She waited for the officer to sit down across from her, but instead he stood by the door.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Water or coffee?" he asked.

Phoebe shook her head. The officer left without another word, and Phoebe imagined that the door had locked automatically behind him. If they weren't arresting her for anything, they sure were treating her like a suspect.

A minute later the officer arrived, looking pissed off. "Seems there's been some kind of misunderstanding, Ms. Halliwell. You and your friends are free to go."

"Go?" Phoebe asked, confused.

"Your sister, Mrs. Halliwell-Trudeau, told us that nothing happened at the house, just a false alarm. She's demanded the release of you and the others," he explained, not looking happy about it.

Phoebe stood up, grateful for Prue, and left the room as quickly as she could without running.

She saw Prue waiting for them in the lobby, looking grim. When she saw Phoebe, she cleared her throat.

"About Andy, he had no right..."

"Please Prue. Don't worry about it. If I were him, I'd have done the same thing," Phoebe said, waving her oldest sister's apology off.

"No, you wouldn't have," Prue said firmly, and Phoebe knew she was right. But still, she wouldn't hold Andy's actions against him. Fear made people do things they wouldn't normally do.

Piper and Cole emerged after Phoebe. Cole hurried to Phoebe's side. Piper hugged Prue, and Phoebe was glad to see that Piper's anger had dissipated once they were released from jail.

They all walked out together. "Well, once again, sorry about Andy. I better be getting home." Prue turned to go, but Cole stopped her.

"Prue, wait."

"No, I can't. It's late enough, and quite frankly, I don't want to think about what happened tonight."

"But you can't turn your back on your destiny," Cole continued, but Prue stopped him.

"There is no destiny, Cole. What we did tonight...I can't put my family at risk like that all the time. And I can't put their lives in danger either," Prue said, indicating Piper and Phoebe.

"Prue..." Cole started.

"No! Okay? Just do me a favor and stay away from me," Prue said, and walked to her car.

Cole started to go after her, but Phoebe stopped him. "No, Cole. Let her go. She needs to think it over."

"I should be getting back home. Leo's probably worried sick," Piper put in.

"Oh my god!" Phoebe suddenly exclaimed. "I forgot about Connor!"

She looked at Cole, desperation in her eyes. "You have to get us home now! He's probably put out an APB on me by now."

"All right, all right. But this isn't over, Phoebe. Vanquishing one little demon doesn't qualify as fulfilling your destiny," Cole said putting his arms around Piper and Phoebe so he could shimmer them back to their homes.

"Well, it's going to have to do for now, because it's late and some of us have work in the morning," Piper said.

A second later they were in front of the manor, and Piper hurried up the steps leading to the door. "I'll see you guys...well, when I see you, I guess," she said before she went inside.

"She's right, Cole. Just because we're the Charmed Ones now doesn't mean we can just drop everything and go play demon hunters. We have lives and responsibilities now," Phoebe said softly to Cole, who was frowning.

"You've changed so much. I remember when having responsibilities didn't mean anything to either of us, Phoebe. Nothing tied us down," he said.

Phoebe looked down. "Well, you're right about one thing, Cole. I have changed. And, like it or not, I've made a pretty nice life for myself. One that's worth fighting for, not risking my life to...slay monsters."

"But you aren't happy, Phoebe, even I can see that. Before you found out you were a witch, you were searching for reason and purpose. You've been doing it ever since we were kids."

"Who says I'm not happy? I've got a great job and a great fiance. A lot of women would kill for the kind of life I lead," Phoebe argued.

Cole gave her a sympathetic smile. "But is it what you really want?"

Phoebe frowned, and Cole shimmered them to the front door of her apartment.

"I have to go. Connor's probably beside himself," Phoebe said, digging in her purse for her keys.

"Before you go, just answer me one final question," Cole demanded, keeping his hand on the door so Phoebe couldn't leave.

Phoebe glared at him but didn't argue.

"Can you tell Connor the truth?"

"About what?"

"About who you are. About being a Charmed One and everything that entails. Would you be able to tell him that you're a witch?" Cole asked.

Phoebe paused, taken aback. She hadn't given it much thought. "I-I suppose so. Connor has an open mind, he'd be able to believe me if I told him."

Cole smiled, looking amused. "Well, if that's the case then you should tell him. You should tell him that demons and warlocks could show up in your apartment at any moment and attack you both. That you have the power to see into the future. And that you have a demon ex-boyfriend. If you believe that he can handle all that, then you should tell him. Because if he can't, you might want to reconsider your relationship with him."

Phoebe put her hands on her hips and smirked. "You're jealous, aren't you? Admit it!"

"Cole scoffed. "Of _him? _Please."

"Your mad because I'm marrying him. Well, believe it or not Cole, Connor has a very open mind. He's a doctor. He sees things everyday on the job that makes him have an open mind. If he found out I was a witch, he wouldn't care."

"If you say so." And with that, Cole was gone.

Phoebe opened the door of her apartment, and was immediately swept off her feet.

"Phoebe! Oh thank god! Where have you been? I've been worried sick!"

"I know, and I'm sorry," Phoebe started, but Connor cut her off.

"You've got to stop disappearing on me like this. And if you do, you should at least call and let me know you're all right and not lying in a ditch somewhere..."

"I know, Connor, okay? I'm sorry," Phoebe said again.

"I left like, ten messages on your phone. Didn't you get them?" he asked, softer this time.

Phoebe groaned. "I must've left it at work."

"You haven't answered my question. Where have you been?" Connor demanded.

"I was with Piper and Prue," Phoebe replied, deciding that telling as much of the truth as she could was the best approach.

"Your sisters? I thought you said that you weren't that close to them," Connor pointed out.

Phoebe nodded. "We aren't, and that's why I was with them. Piper was sick of playing mediator between Prue and I, so she decided to have us meet and try to work out our differences. I want her at the wedding, Connor. It wouldn't be right without my sisters."

Connor's face softened, and he sat Phoebe down on the sofa. "It's okay. I'm not mad. I just get a bit frustrated when you go somewhere and don't tell me. Especially if you're going to be late. There are too many crazy people in the world, Phoebe. I don't want you getting mixed in with that."

At that moment Phoebe stared into her fiance's eyes. She knew then that it wouldn't be a good idea to tell him the truth. Cole was right, he wouldn't understand. Not if he got all worked up over her having a late night meeting with her sisters. Connor was a good guy, and good guys shouldn't have to worry about demons and witches and who knows what else.

"I know. And the same goes for you, too, got it?" she asked playfully, hugging him closely to her.

And that was when she was rocked with another vision.

_Connor, in his white doctor's coat, looking horrified by the appearance of a female demon. The demon threw an energy ball at a young girl, no older than five, killing her. Then she turned to Connor, laughed evilly, and did the same thing to him._

Phoebe gasped as she was pulled out of the vision. She looked up at Connor, who was smiling at her.

"Got the hiccups?" was all that he asked.

Phoebe could only nod, still shaken up by what she saw.

"I'll go get you a glass of water."

* * *

Phoebe hadn't slept all night. She was too worried about Connor. She had no idea when the vision took place, though she had a suspicion that it was going to be today.

She took a shower, hoping that it would help her get an idea over what to do. She didn't have much firepower as a witch. Okay, hardly any. It was apparent that Prue and Piper had gotten the active powers.

Cole would be able to help, since Phoebe was sure that he didn't have a job. She considered calling Prue and Piper, but dismissed the idea. They had jobs and had made it quite clear the previous night that they had no intention of making demon hunting a habit.

While Connor was getting ready for his shift at the hospital, Phoebe went to the kitchen and dialed Cole's number.

"Hello?"

"Cole, it's Connor. I had a vision. Some kind of she-demon is after him," she whispered urgently.

"Phoebe, it's seven in the morning. Demons usually wait until later to attack innocents," Cole muttered tiredly into the receiver.

"It doesn't happen now! It happens while he's at work. Since you have more firepower than I do, I was hoping that you could help me stop her," Phoebe explained.

"Do you know what kind of demon it is?" Cole asked.

"How would I know that?" Phoebe hissed.

"You would if you looked in the Book of Shadows. You can't keep going to me every time you have a demonic problem. You have to get used to going to your sisters."

"Thanks for your support, Cole. I suppose you won't be going with me to the hospital, then?" Phoebe asked sarcastically.

Cole sighed. "Yes, I'll go with you. But you need to check the Book of Shadows. You need to know what kind of demon you're up against before you go in head first. You always need a plan."

"Okay. Just meet me at the manor in an hour." Phoebe hung up and went back to the bedroom before Connor got suspicious.

She got dressed in a pale blue blouse and a black skirt and waited for Connor, hoping to convince him not to go to work.

He emerged from the shower a couple minutes later, wearing only his towel. He smiled when he saw Phoebe, and she returned it.

"You know, Connor, I was thinking. Why don't you call in sick today at the hospital, and we can take a romantic day off. I was thinking a picnic at Golden Gate Park, followed maybe by a movie, then we could get some ice cream or something. What do you say?" she asked.

Connor laughed. "As tempting as that sounds, I have two surgeries today and a four other patients who are still in critical condition. I can't just leave them."

"But aren't there other doctors who can take over? Let me make yesterday up to you."

"That's sweet Phoebe, really. Maybe we could have a picnic over the weekend. But my patients need me. I can't just turn my back on them," Connor answered, kissing her tenderly, before pulling away and getting dressed.

"Well then how about you leave early? Like, noon, early? You work so hard down there. You deserve a little time off," Phoebe said, not ready to give up.

Connor looked at her suspiciously. "What's gotten into you? You never try to get me to stay away from my job. You know how much my patients mean to me."

Phoebe hesitated. She considered telling him the truth. It would certainly keep him away from the hospital. But she couldn't tell him. He didn't deserve that kind of knowledge.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm being selfish."

Connor leaned in closer to her. "You could never be selfish, Phoebe."

Twenty minutes later Connor had left the apartment. Phoebe stared at the door as it closed behind him. She vowed that it wouldn't be the last time she would ever see him.


	10. Not Who We Thought

A/N: Thanks so much to **Singleladie4ev., lizardmomma, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, and CoTu **for reviewing. Glad to see you're still reading! Hope you like this chapter, it's a turning point for the story. Happy reading!

* * *

_Chapter Nine_

Once Connor was gone, Phoebe hurried to the cordless phone and dialed the number to the manor, praying that Piper was there.

Someone picked up on the third ring. "Hello?" a tired man's groggy voice said.

"Leo! Oh thank god. Is Piper there?" Phoebe asked, a wave of relief passing through her.

"Yeah, hold on." Leo called Piper on the other end, and Phoebe wished they would hurry up. Connor's life may depend on them.

"Phoebe, what is it?" Piper asked a few seconds later.

"It's Connor. I had a premonition and he's in trouble. Can you look in the Book of Shadows for a female demon that throws energy balls and meet me at my place in, say, twenty minutes?" Phoebe hurriedly explained.

"I guess. Do you think we should call Prue?" Piper asked, keeping her voice down. Phoebe guessed she didn't want Leo to know what was going on, even though Grams had told them that he was their Whitelighter and he probably already knew anyway.

"I don't think it will do any good, and she probably won't come anyway. We don't have a lot of time. But can you meet me here?" Phoebe pressed.

Piper sighed into the phone, but agreed.

They hung up and Phoebe fixed herself a cup of coffee, wishing it was something stronger. But it was too early in the morning, and she didn't want her judgment to be impaired. So she sat, her coffee in front of her, waiting impatiently for Cole and Piper to arrive.

Cole arrived a couple minutes later. He was wearing a black t-shirt that clung to his figure nicely, showing off his finely tuned muscles. He wore blue jeans and black shoes. Phoebe couldn't help admiring him from her angle.

"So did you find out who the demon was?" Cole asked, sitting beside her at the kitchen table.

"Piper's on it. She's supposed to meet us here in a few minutes," Phoebe replied. "Do you want some coffee?"

"No, thanks. I'm not thirsty." Cole shook his head. "So is Prue coming?"

This time Phoebe shook her head. "I doubt it. She isn't going to accept her destiny if we keep throwing it in her face. She needs to come to it on her own terms."

Cole didn't look like he understood Phoebe's logic, but he let it go. "So this is where you live. It's nice to see it from the inside."

Phoebe frowned. "What do you mean? You've been here before?"

"When I came back I had to see you. I had to know what had become of you. Unfortunately, my father kept me in hiding just a little too long, and I got clumsy and sorta knocked some trash cans over."

Phoebe inclined her head as realization struck. "That was you that night?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I know. I'm sorry. But I couldn't let you find me yet. It would've ruined everything."

Phoebe rolled her eyes, but was glad she had finally discovered the source of that crash. She had been starting to think she was going crazy.

"It's okay. I understand."

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation, and Phoebe stood up to answer it, already knowing who it was.

Piper walked in wearing a red blouse and black dressy pants and black leather pointed toe boots. "Okay, let's just make this quick because I have a meeting with a client at the club interested in holding her family reunion there," she explained, holding two pieces of notebook paper.

She handed one to Phoebe as she walked into the apartment, shutting the door behind her.

"What's this?" Phoebe asked.

"Vanquishing spell. You didn't give me a whole lot to go on, so I made my best guess. But an Affligo demon is female and she feeds on human suffering, using it to make herself stronger and those around her weaker. According to the Book, she is usually found in hospitals, more specifically the terminal ward where people are clinging to death, so that's where we're most likely to find her," Piper explained.

Phoebe looked to Cole for conformation, and he nodded, satisfied with the demon Piper found.

"Well then let's go. Connor doesn't have much time," Phoebe said and brushed past them to the door.

Cole and Piper followed her out. Cole led them into the elevator and then shimmered them out of the hospital and into a storage closet in the hospital.

Phoebe put her hand on the doorknob and inched it open, making sure the coast was clear.

Satisfied that it was, she hurried out and held the door open for Cole and Piper, shutting it after them.

They tried to blend in, pretending they were looking for a loved one's room in case anyone looked at them funny. Phoebe hoped they found Connor soon. She didn't like wasting precious time walking down hallways.

"Couldn't you have shimmered us a little closer to where Connor is?" Phoebe hissed impatiently.

"I don't have the power to sense people, Phoebe. I'm not a Whitelighter. Maybe you should've asked Leo," Cole retorted, leaning down so he could whisper in her ear.

"Leo doesn't know we know we're witches, and that's how I want to keep it. I don't want him worrying about me all the time," Piper interjected with finality, so Phoebe knew that was the end of that particular conversation.

But Cole wasn't finished yet. "You're going to have to involve him sooner or later, you know. Whitelighters have the power to heal, and sooner or later you're going to get an injury, a pretty serious one, and you won't be able to go to a hospital over it."

Piper sighed agitatedly, and this time Cole shut up. He knew Piper hated admitting it when other people were right and she was wrong. He remembered it from their teenage years. He had seemed to bear the brunt of it since he hadn't exactly been welcomed into the Halliwell family.

"I think we're close," Phoebe said, pointing out the ICU sign that blinked at them above the entrance to another hallway.

"The ICU? You think he's in there?" Piper asked, not sounding too sure.

"Yeah, when I saw him in my premonition, he was standing by a young girl who he had recently performed a surgery on. He's in here, I know it."

Piper and Cole took her word for it and followed her into the intensive care unit, watching out for doctors or security guards who might realize that they didn't belong there.

Phoebe scanned the faces of everyone they passed, looking for the female demon she saw in her premonition. But she was nowhere to be seen, which just meant that either they were early and still had time to get Connor and the little girl out of there, or she was hiding out, waiting for her opportunity to strike.

Phoebe had a suspicion that it was the latter.

"So what happens if we find Connor before the demon does? Does Cole shimmer us all out of here and we call it a day?" Piper asked hopefully.

Phoebe suppressed a laugh and shook her head. "I don't think it works that way. Unless we vanquish her, she's still free to stalk other hospitals and feed off other people."

"I know. I was hoping," Piper said.

Phoebe thought about her sister for a second. She was realizing just how lucky she was to have Piper around. She was the only sister embracing her destiny; granted they hadn't gotten around to telling Paige yet, but that was because she lived across the country and couldn't just up and leave for her Whitelighter duties. Especially since they already had a Whitelighter.

Phoebe wished that they could go to Paige, but they didn't have time for that, especially when Paige would most likely do the same thing as Prue and refuse her destiny.

Phoebe vowed that if they got out of this, she would call Paige, just to talk if nothing else. She didn't want to think about what would happen if she somehow died in battle with a demon and she hadn't done anything to patch up her strained relationship with her baby sister.

"There's Connor," Piper pointed out and Phoebe looked up, snapping out of her thoughts.

He was in his white doctor's coat holding a clipboard, talking to the same little girl that Phoebe had seen in her premonition.

"I think we got here just in time," Phoebe whispered as they ducked into an empty room, peering over the door at them.

"Why do you say that?" Cole asked.

"Everything is the same as in my premonition. The girl, the room, the hallway. Connor. It's going to happen soon," Phoebe said, trying to convey the urgency of the situation.

Piper nodded. "Okay, we believe you. But how are we going to save them without telling Connor who we really are?"

Phoebe's mouth opened in shock. She hadn't thought about that. Not at all. But Piper was right, they couldn't save Connor without being revealing who they were to him. Unless...

"Cole, get them out of here, before the Affligo demon strikes."

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"We have the vanquishing spell. We'll be fine," Phoebe said, standing up and kissing him on the cheek.

Cole looked taken aback, but he quickly got over it. He returned the kiss, and started moving his way down to her lips, but Phoebe pulled away.

"I'm getting married soon, remember?" she asked softly, touching her hand to her mouth in embarassment.

"Don't remind me." Cole moved past her out of the door and walked up to Connor.

Phoebe couldn't tell what Cole was saying to him, but it didn't matter. She was trying to figure out why she felt guilty all of a sudden.

"Let's just hope he doesn't tell Connor who he really is," Piper said, watching the two men argue.

"Or that he's my ex-boyfriend," Phoebe added.

"Do you think that he would? I mean, the situation is kind of pressing," Piper started.

"Cole isn't exactly known for his subtlety. He's the jealous type, he always has been. I can see him telling Connor the truth if for no other reason then to scare him away," Phoebe pointed out, feeling worse by the second.

"You really think he would do that?" Piper asked, looking skeptical.

"I know he would," Phoebe replied, looking helpless.

They didn't say anything else. They just turned to watch Cole's progress with Connor. They had just turned to walk down the hall when the female demon from Phoebe's vision appeared just a couple feet away from Cole.

"Watch out!" Phoebe called as she and Piper ran out of the empty room.

Both Cole and Connor spun around. Cole threw Connor to the ground in order to avoid being hit.

"I'll go get the girl!" Piper shouted and ran past the demon and into the girl's room.

Phoebe focused on the demon, who flashed her a menacing smile.

"Phoebe! What a nice surprise!" the demon exclaimed, sounding genuinely happy with her presence.

"What?" Phoebe's momentary pause cost her, and the next thing she knew she was flung against the wall, making contact hardly. She fell to the floor in a crumbling heap.

"Phoebe!" Connor rushed over to her and went into doctor mode despite the attack.

"Connor...you need to get out of here," Phoebe said weakly as she slowly got up.

She saw Piper holding the little girl, who was crying and burying her head in Piper's shoulder. Piper ran out of the ICU, giving Phoebe an apologetic look that said she was sorry for leaving them alone with the demon.

Phoebe didn't give her a second thought. Getting the girl to safety was their number one priority.

"I always knew you were still alive, Belthazor. I could sense it!" the demon said, talking to Cole.

"But you never came after us. You were a coward even then. I see nothing has changed," Cole retorted, his hands on his hips.

Phoebe watched the exchange with confusion. Who was Belthazor? And how did Cole and the Affligo demon know each other?

"Going after little kids now? That's a little low, even for you," Cole continued, motioning to the hospital that they were standing in.

"I had to draw you and the Charmed Ones out somehow! I knew once your good-for-nothing father died you would try to find them. You're predictable, Belthazor. You need to come home, while the damage is still reversible," the demon continued.

"I will not. You can keep coming after us, but nothing will change my mind. My destiny is with Phoebe," Cole said, but didn't look at Phoebe. She had the sense that he was trying to keep the Affligo demon's attention on him.

The demon scoffed. "That witch? She was never any good for you. She poisoned you from who you are, and made you weak. Vulnerable. If you come home, I can change all that."

"Never! Do you hear me? I'm not coming home, so just give it up," Cole argued, looking dangerous now.

Phoebe then remembered the paper Piper had given her with the vanquishing spell. She took it out and read it.

'_Creator of Great Sorrow and Pain_

_and Powers that you try to obtain_

_I vanquish you so you can feel_

_The pain that makes you very real.'_

The demon merely scoffed. "You think that will vanquish me, witch? Believe me, it's going to take much more than that. You can try to keep Belthazor good, but know that it's only a matter of time before he betrays you." She turned to Cole, speaking more to him now than Phoebe. "It's only a matter of time."

Then she, too, shimmered out, leaving behind a very confused Phoebe.

"What the hell just happened? That spell should have worked. Right?" she looked to Cole for conformation.

"No, it wouldn't have. That wasn't an Affligo demon."

"Then who was she? And why did she keep calling you Belthazor?" Phoebe demanded, aware that Connor was behind her, watching the whole scene.

Cole sighed before answering. "Belthazor is my demon name. And the demon who was just here? That was my mother."


	11. Resistance

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad you all like the story. Thanks to **PhoebeColefan, Christine Ruud, qtgirl, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, **and** lizardmomma **for reviewing. I really appreciate them all. Hope you all like the next chapter. Happy reading.

* * *

_Chapter Ten_

"Your mother the demon?" Phoebe asked, her eyes wide in alarm. Her voice was borderline panic.

"Her powers must not be as diminished as we thought," Cole murmured, more to himself than Phoebe.

"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Before Cole could answer, they heard Connor let out a fearful yelp and Phoebe turned around to find him struggling to get up. He hadn't been injured in the fight, so Phoebe knew it was from fear than pain.

"Connor, are you okay?" she asked, taking a step towards him.

"Stay away from me," he jumped, pointing his finger at Phoebe and Cole as a warning.

Pushing away the hurt she felt at that statement, she leaned down without taking a step further, hoping that maybe she could help Connor process what was going on without him freaking out. It didn't seem like it would do any good, though.

"Listen, Connor. We just saved your life..." Phoebe started, buy Connor interjected loudly.

"What are you even _doing _here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?" he asked, inching further away from his fiancee.

Phoebe closed her eyes in irritation and suppressed a sigh. She had forgotten to call Elise to say she wouldn't be in. Her boss was probably beside herself with anger. She decided not to check her phone for the hundreds of messages she was sure Elise had left her.

"That's not important. What is important is what I'm about to tell you. And you don't have to believe me right now, but you do have to trust me. Do you think you can do that?" Phoebe asked softly, silently willing Connor to do as she said.

Connor shrugged, looking helpless. Phoebe couldn't blame him. After seeing everything that had just happened, she wouldn't be surprised if he never trusted her again. But she had to try, or else he would just be an easier target.

"Connor, my sisters and I...we're witches. And the woman who was just here? She wasn't exactly a human. She was a demon," Phoebe started explaining.

"My mother," Cole put in and Phoebe glared at him, since it had only made Connor back away even further.

"You really expect me to believe that? That witches and demons exist?" he asked angrily, then turned to look at just Phoebe. "Are you doing drugs? Maybe I can get you tested and if you test positive, there are some treatment programs available..."

"I'm not on drugs, Connor, and I can't believe you would even suggest it!" Phoebe exclaimed in outrage, standing up to bear down on him.

Connor stood up too, preparing to defend his position.

"Why not? You disappear at all hours of the night, you don't tell me where you are, you act strangely when you _are _at home, and now you and some strange guy burst into the hospital where I work and start telling me that things like witches and demons exist? What else am I supposed to think?" he asked, his voice raising with every word.

Phoebe stared at him in shock, her mouth hanging open. She could not believe what he had just said. "Is that what you really think? Is it so much easier to believe that the woman you love, your _fiancee, _is doing drugs than to even consider that maybe she's telling you the truth?" she snapped, feeling betrayed.

Connor sighed and looked at his feet, rubbing his eyebrows in frustration. "Look, Phoebe, I don't know what to believe. But I need some time to sort it out. You and that guy," he said motioning to Cole, who was watching the display with impatience, his hands on his hips, "need to leave."

And with that, Connor grabbed his clipboard and walked away.

Phoebe stayed where she was, staring at the place Connor had been standing. "I think he just broke up with me," she whispered.

Cole walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I don't think that's what he meant. He needs time to either convince himself that what he saw was real, or it was some giant mishap. You won't know until later, and we won't solve anything by standing here. Let's just do what he said and get out of here, okay?"

Phoebe nodded helplessly and let Cole lead her out of the hospital.

* * *

They met Piper outside. She was still holding the little girl. Phoebe didn't even want to think about how they were going to explain that one.

"What took you guys so long? Did you vanquish the demon?" Piper demanded.

"Piper, watch what you're saying!" Phoebe exclaimed, eyeing the girl.

"Oh Pheebs, relax, she's sleeping. So did you?" Piper pressed, shifting the girl to her other arm.

Phoebe glanced at Cole, who just shrugged and gave her a look that said 'It's-your-call.' Then she turned back to Piper. "Not exactly. She wasn't an Affligo demon."

"Then what was she?" Piper asked, looking at Cole for an explanation.

"It was my mother," Cole replied gravely, sitting down on the wooden bench that was just outside the hospital doors. Piper and Phoebe joined him.

"Your mother? That's new," Piper muttered. Phoebe thought she must've been flashing back to high school and the rare times that Cole's parents came by the manor because Grams had called them to discuss the latest mischief Cole and Phoebe had gotten into. Piper hadn't thought much of Cole's bitchy mother any more than Grams and Phoebe had.

"Which brings up an obvious question. Why did she attack that particular hospital?" Phoebe asked.

"She must've sensed that I had resurfaced. Either that or she's been watching you, waiting for me to come back," Cole explained, standing up and starting to pace. It was a habit Cole had back in high school when he had a problem he was trying to solve. In a strange way, it brought comfort to Phoebe. It was nice to see that some things never changed.

"She was following Phoebe? That's disturbing," Piper put in, looking both disgusted and worried.

"That would explain how she knew when to attack, and where. She knew Phoebe's...fiance," he said, not looking happy to have said the word, "worked there, so that it would draw us out. And she must've seen you receive your powers. And if she knows about you two then she knows about..." he trailed off, the growing panic filling the air with suspense.

"Prue." Piper finished for him.

"Or Paige," Phoebe put in, looking from Piper to Cole, matching Cole's panic.

"We don't have a lot of time. Piper, call for Leo. He needs to check on one sister while I check on another."

"Call for Leo? How do I do that?" Piper asked skeptically, eyeing Cole in disbelief.

"Exactly that. Call him. Yell his name. As a Whitelighter, he'll be able to hear you," Cole briefly explained.

Phoebe watched as Piper sighed, knowing she felt silly for even considering the idea.

"Leo? Leo," Piper called. Phoebe saw a few passers-by stare at them in amusement, but otherwise no one heard.

A couple seconds later Leo arrived in a swirl of bright white lights. "Yeah?" he asked, not looking at all surprised at being summoned.

"We don't have a lot of time to explain, but Cole's mother, a demon, knows that we're witches and we think she may be attacking Prue or Paige," Piper explained as she moved closer to her husband.

"Leo, you take Piper to Prue. Phoebe and I will go to Paige. If she's with Prue, Piper should freeze while Prue uses her power to temporarily put her off. I'll use my powers to weaken her which will, in theory, keep her in the Underworld to regroup. Then we'll all meet back at the manor. Everyone got it?" Cole asked, looking at them all in turn as if daring them to object to his plan.

No one did. Without a word, Leo orbed Piper back to Prue's house. A second later Cole hugged Phoebe close to him, and shimmered her to where Phoebe could only assume Paige lived. She didn't ask him how he knew where Paige lived since shimmering made her feel nauseous and she didn't really want to know how demon powers worked anyway.

After what felt like hours later, even though Phoebe knew it was only a couple seconds, they were standing in front of a grungy old brownstone in front of Washington Square Park.

_So this is the reason Paige never comes home, _Phoebe thought to herself in disgust. It sort of hurt to know that Paige hated her sisters so much that she would live alone in New York in a ratty old building in order to stay away from them. _Did we hurt her that much? _

"You need to push past your emotions, Phoebe. This isn't a social call, this is business. Just keep telling that to yourself if you have to. Okay?" Cole asked.

It was a lousy pep talk, but it made Phoebe feel better. "Let's just go in before your mother does any damage."

"Please don't call her that. She stopped being my mother when she wanted me to become evil. Just call her Elizabeth."

It was an odd name for a demon, but Phoebe let it go. Now wasn't the time.

Cole kicked the door open with his foot, and Phoebe wondered for a minute why he didn't just shimmer them into the brownstone, but didn't ask. She followed him inside and looked around nervously. She crossed her arms across her chest, guarding herself from the cold. She realized that there was no heat in the apartment.

Cole tried to turn on a light, but that wasn't working either. Was Paige having a worse time than she thought?

"Paige? Are you here?" Phoebe called. She didn't know why, but she had a really bad feeling about this.

"Who's there?" called a voice, and even though Phoebe hadn't heard it in a long time, she would've recognized it anywhere.

Her younger sister entered the living room, pointing a gun at them. When she realized it was Phoebe she lowered it. But when she saw Cole, her eyes opened wide and she pointed it at him.

"You're supposed to be dead!" she exclaimed in horror.

Cole looked down at Phoebe and rolled his eyes. Even Phoebe had to admit that this particular conversation was getting old.

"Well I'm not. Don't ask questions because we don't have time to explain. Right now we need to get you out of here," Cole said, his hands raised so that Paige knew that he didn't mean her any harm.

Paige didn't look convinced. "But..."

"Paige, I know this is going to be hard for you, but you're going to have to trust us, okay? You need to leave because, if we're right, someone's after you. A very bad someone," Phoebe interrupted. She hated talking to Paige this way, especially after leaving their relationship to gather dust, but they didn't have a choice. Cole was right, they needed to get back to the manor.

"Can I at least pack some stuff?" Paige asked, annoyed. Her tone made Phoebe think that she didn't believe them, which was understandable, but it was getting old.

"There's no time. Either we leave now, or you won't make it to tomorrow. Are you getting the urgency of the situation?" Cole asked sardonically, moving his way menacingly closer to her.

Phoebe remembered that he and Paige had never really gotten along. While Prue, Piper, and Grams hadn't liked Cole any more than Paige hadn't, they at least could get along with him. Paige, on the other hand, hadn't even been able to tolerate breathing the same air as him.

Phoebe watched as Cole and Paige stared at each other, waiting to see who would break down first. She wished they wouldn't since Cole was the only one of the three who had any firepower. If Elizabeth attacked them Cole was the only one who could weaken her, and despite knowing how much he hated his mother, she wasn't convinced he could kill her. She was still his mother after all.

"Fine. Can I at least get some food and money for the journey? If I'm going to be stuck with you two the whole way, I shouldn't have to depend on you to keep me alive," Paige said sarcastically as she walked into the small kitchen.

"There's going to be no journey. It'll only take me two seconds to get back to the manor," Cole said. He and Phoebe followed Paige into the kitchen. They glanced at each other, and Phoebe knew what he was going to do without him needing to tell her. Together they each grabbed one of Paige's hands and Cole shimmered them out of the brownstone before Paige could object.

They materialized in the attic of the manor, and once they were solid, Paige's screams could be heard.   "Let go of me!" she kept screaming over and over again. She shut up once she saw her other two sisters watching her with concern.

"I take it Elizabeth was at your place," Cole said, indicating Prue.

But Leo shook his head. "No, she wasn't. We thought she was at Paige's place," he said.

Phoebe and Cole shook their heads. "If she wasn't at Prue or Paige's places, then where was she?" Phoebe asked, stating the obvious.

"She must be regrouping. She knew we would anticipate her going after them," Cole explained, pacing again.

Phoebe saw Prue and Paige look at each other in confusion. "Who's Elizabeth?" Prue asked.

"My mother. You might remember her from her demonic behavior, hatred of anything human, and all around evil nature," Cole replied sarcastically.

"I'm out of here," Paige said, walking to the attic door.

"You can't go, Paige. You're in danger," Piper sighed. She threw up her hands, intending on freezing her, but it didn't work.

"Why didn't she freeze?" Piper asked no one in particular.

Leo answered. "Because you can't freeze good witches."

This made Paige turn around. "Witches? What are you talking about?" she asked skeptically.

"You. You, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe are all witches. You were born witches. Prue, Piper, and Phoebe are the Charmed Ones. They are the most powerful force for good the world has ever known. Paige, you're a half-witch, half-Whitelighter, and it's your job to protect them. Like me."

Paige frowned. "You mean I'm some sort of guardian angel? Get real." Then she turned around and made her way for the door again.

"Paige, wait! It's not safe for you to go out alone, and if you leave you'll never know about your power," Phoebe stated, hoping the mention of her power would make her turn around.

But Paige just turned around once again and looked at all of them in utter disbelief.

"Let me get this straight. You and Cole kidnap me from my home and bring me back here for some sick and twisted family reunion just to tell me that I'm a witch slash guardian angel with some sort of freakish power? Some family," Paige muttered. Phoebe could've sworn she saw hatred in her younger sister's eyes.

Paige turned on her heel and left the attic. Phoebe made to go after her, but Leo stopped her.

"No. If you try to force this on her then she'll never accept it. She needs to come to the truth in her own way," he said, looking at her sympathetically.

"But we can't let her get away. She's in danger by herself!" Phoebe argued, looking to Cole for support.

But he looked just as helpless as the rest of them felt. "We can only follow her and make sure nothing goes after that. But Leo's right, the more you force it on her, the more she's going to resist."

"Then let's go." Phoebe grabbed Cole's hand and led him out of the attic. She wasn't about to let her baby sister die for her mistake.


	12. Sisterly Competition

A/N: Thanks to **PhoebeColefan, lizardmomma, **and** Draco's-Loyal-Longing **for reviewing. I'm glad you liked the last chapter. This chapter I think is my favorite so far. It was the easiest to write. No demon stuff, just fluff. Hope you all like. More action next chapter! So with that in mind, happy reading.

* * *

_Chapter Eleven_

"Phoebe, I hate to point this out to you, but this is pointless. Where do you expect to find her?" Cole asked once they were outside.

Phoebe was walking down the sidewalk, searching the streets in vain. "There are plenty of places we can try. Paige used to walk off all the time back when we were kids. Usually she ended up at Golden Gate Park, so that's where I figure she went," she explained, not bothering to turn around.

"But maybe that's where she knows you'll check first, so she went to the first random place she could find," Cole argued from behind.

Phoebe stopped in her tracks and whirled around to face Cole. "I know that this must be difficult for you since I know you and Paige never liked each other, but I know my sister, and I know where she would go. So either come with me or go back." Then she turned around and continued walking.

Cole let out an exasperated sigh but followed nonetheless. "What do you hope to accomplish? Make her feel better that she's your supernatural lackey?"

"That's not what she is. And I don't really know what I'm going to say, I usually make the sister stuff up as I go along," Phoebe replied distractedly as she crossed the street, Cole at her heels.

Cole laughed. "Yeah, I remember. Sisterly bonding was never your strong point. Especially when you snuck out and Paige followed. How many times did you try to get her lost?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes, but smiled in amusement. "Hey, she was twelve and I was fourteen! She knew how to get back home!"

"But she followed us around like a hawk. Well, she did before she became a teenager and started hating my guts," Cole retorted.

Phoebe reached behind her for Cole's hand and they started walking side by side. "She never hated you, just like you never hated her. She just didn't think you were good enough for me, and that made you mad and you took it out on her. I think we're old enough for you two to get past that," she said, only half joking.

"No one in your family thought I was good enough for you. The school, on the other hand, thought we were a match made in heaven," Cole leaned down and whispered in her ear.

Phoebe laughed at the memory. "Like when we were caught trying to smuggle all the frogs out of the science lab in the middle of the night? And the time we started that food fight? And when we busted into the school archives and changed my grade from an F to a B?"

"My parents just about killed me for that last one," Cole replied earnestly, tightening his grip on Phoebe's hand and started swinging it gently.

"Grams grounded me for two months. We were lucky she let us go to the prom!"

"Wouldn't we have gone anyway?" Cole asked innocently.

Phoebe eyed him then punched him in the stomach with her free hand playfully. "Not the point."

Cole laughed. "Yeah, I know. But we had some good times back then, didn't we?"

"Yeah. I wish we could do it all over again."

"Who says we can't?"

Phoebe sighed, remembering Connor and the fight they had back at the hospital. "It's not that easy anymore. There's still Connor who probably won't ever forgive me."

"For saving his life? What kind of guy holds a grudge over that?" Cole asked, his eyebrows raised in a telling sign that told Phoebe that he didn't approve.

"Is that the jealousy talking?" Phoebe retorted.

"Is there anything I can say to change your mind about him?"

Phoebe shrugged. "I don't know. But no matter what happens next, I can't leave things the way they are now. Connor deserves an explanation. It's the least I can give him."

Cole cleared his throat and looked down at Phoebe. "I think he's already made it quite clear that he thinks he already knows the truth. Why burden him with the knowledge of demons and witches?"

"Do you really want him thinking I'm a drug addict?"

"Better than being afraid that you'll turn him into a toad."

"That's such a cliche."

"He'd never know the difference."

Phoebe smacked him again. "You're impossible."

Cole smirked. "It's part of my charm."

Phoebe laughed and snuggled closer to him as Golden Gate Park came into view. She shivered against the cold night air.

"Here." They stopped and Cole took off his black jacket and wrapped it around Phoebe's shoulders. She smiled up at him in appreciation.

"Thanks," Phoebe muttered as they started walking again.

Cole nodded but didn't say anything more. They made their way to the park in a comfortable silence, and Phoebe had to admit that she missed this. She missed being completely honest about who she was. It was something she had never been able to do with Connor, despite loving him almost as much as she loved Cole.

She just didn't know whether he could accept who she was. After the display at the hospital...she cringed just thinking about it.

She didn't want to think about Connor anymore tonight. It would only distract her, and she needed all her strength and patience to talk to Paige and get through to her the urgency of the situation.

"Where did Paige used to go when she ran away here?" Cole asked, his eyes scanning the wide length of the park.

"She used to go to the swings. I'll check there, you check the open fields. Sometimes she liked to hide underneath the trees," Phoebe replied, getting serious again.

"Oh, that shouldn't be too hard," Cole said sarcastically as he walked off in the direction of the wider fields.

Phoebe went in the direction of the playground. She hadn't been to Golden Gate Park in years, and being back here brought back even more childhood memories.

Pushing past them, she walked as quickly as she could without running to the playground, her senses on full alert. She had no idea when or where Elizabeth would strike again, but she had the feeling that she would take full advantage of one of the Charmed Ones being out alone.

Aware of the danger around her, Phoebe scanned the grounds quicker. Just seconds later she spotted Paige sitting on the swing closest to the slide. That one had always been her favorite as a child. Even now, Phoebe appreciated her younger sister being so predictable.

"Mind if I join you?" Phoebe asked as she came upon the swing set from behind. Without waiting for an answer she sat down on the swing beside Paige.

Paige shrugged in response. Phoebe took that as a good sign. _At least she's not running away, _she thought gratefully.

"Why'd you storm out like that?" Phoebe asked once she was sure that Paige wouldn't leave.

Paige stared at her incredulously. "You really don't know?"

"I wouldn't ask if I knew."

Paige shook her head in disbelief. "You've turned me into some kind of freak. You and your dead boyfriend break into my apartment back in New York and drag me back here, the place I've tried so hard to forget, and tell me I'm in great danger. Wouldn't that piss you off?"

"Yeah, and it did! But I didn't go running away from my problems," Phoebe retorted. She was reminded of the many fights they'd had as kids.

"I'm not running away."   "Really? Sure looked like it to me," Phoebe replied in annoyance.

"I had to get out of there and clear my head. You should know that by now, since we used to do it all the time," Paige retorted.

Phoebe sighed and sat up straighter in the swing. "And Paige the Narcissist strikes again."

Paige whipped her head back to meet Phoebe's gaze. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that you take a situation that involves all of us and turn it around to make it all about you."

Paige stared at her incredulously. "I did not! Any one of us would've done it. I just did it first."

"You think this doesn't affect all of us? Prue is in complete denial and Piper...well she's acting like none of this is getting to her, but only an idiot wouldn't see her internal struggle. And me, well, this whole witch thing probably just cost me my marriage," Phoebe explained, matching Paige's death glare with one of her own.

Paige's face turned red and she turned away to stare at the dark horizon. "It's different for you guys. You guys are the ones with the actual power. Me, I'm stuck being some kind of guardian angel. As if I didn't feel inferior enough being the half-sister."

Phoebe's face lightened up hearing Paige's confession. "We don't think of you as any less of a sister just because of your father. And being a Whitelighter sounds cool. You can orb--go wherever you want whenever you want--and heal any injury. Plus, you can go to Heaven whenever you want," she explained in an effort to make Paige feel better.

Paige's face lit up at the last part. "Heaven?"

Phoebe nodded, smiling.

"So do you think that means I could...you know...see Mom?" she asked, quietly enough that Phoebe had trouble hearing her.

"I don't know. I've never really thought about it. But why not? I'm sure Leo could teach you how. That's something Prue, Piper and I can't even dream of doing. I'm jealous," Phoebe admitted.

Paige laughed. "As well you should be. So what's your special talent?"

"Nothing as cool as yours. I get premonitions."

Paige stifled a laugh. "Are you serious? You see the future? That's it?"

Phoebe nodded. "Pretty lame, huh?"

"Definitely."

They both laughed and Phoebe was glad that she and Paige were finally having a conversation that didn't end with yelling. Paige started swinging and Phoebe followed suit.

"What about Prue and Piper? What can they do?" Paige asked.

"Prue moves things with her mind and Piper can freeze time," Phoebe replied, her voice rising against the cold air rushing past her face as she swung higher and higher.

"Now _that's _cool. Too bad she can't teach us how to do it," Paige stated.

They both swung higher and Phoebe felt like she was seven-years-old again. Back when they were kids Phoebe and Paige had swinging contests all the time, seeing who could swing the highest and the fastest. Phoebe won all the time.

Paige eyed Phoebe, catching on to what she was doing. "Wanna see who can jump the farthest?" she asked.

"Five bucks to the winner?" Phoebe offered in agreement.

"Better make it ten. We might as well make it interesting," Paige replied, and they nodded in agreement instead of shaking their hands.

They stopped talking and pumped their legs, trying to gain the most momentum. Phoebe could hear Paige panting with the concentration, and stifled a laugh.

After a couple more minutes Paige spoke up. "On the count of three?"

Phoebe nodded.

"One...two...three!" they both chanted together.

The sisters flung their bodies out of their swings at the same time and Phoebe waved her arms to gather more speed.

They collided with the sand in seconds, and Phoebe landed on her knees rolled over onto her side as she burst out laughing.

Paige landed just inches behind her with her face in the sand. She rolled over and joined in Phoebe's laughter.

"I win again!" Phoebe exclaimed through her laughter.

"Damn. I knew ten bucks was too much," Paige complained, spurting out sand from her mouth in Phoebe's direction.

"Hey! You offered. Now pay up," Phoebe said as she held out her hand to Paige.

Paige took out a wadded ten-dollar bill from her pants pocket and slapped it into Phoebe's hand.

They both struggled to get up, and once they finally managed to they embraced each other in a hug they hadn't given each other since they were teenagers.

"Sorry I got you so dirty," Paige said once they broke apart, and wiped some sand off Phoebe's shirt.

"Don't worry about it," Phoebe replied, pushing her younger sister's hand away.

"Am I interrupting something?" Cole's voice asked from behind them.

Phoebe saw Paige's face fall when she saw Cole. "You brought him?" she asked. She didn't sound surprised, just disappointed.

"It's too dangerous to be out here alone. Plus he was concerned, too," Phoebe said, giving Cole a pointed look that said to go along with what she was saying.

Paige shrugged, catching on but not saying anything. "It's okay, I don't care."

Phoebe knew she was lying and that they had probably spoiled their sister moment, but she was determined not to screw this up.

"Here. Keep your money. Promise you'll go back to the manor with us?" Phoebe asked as she held out the ten-dollar bill out to Paige.

Paige eyed that, then Phoebe and Cole, and nodded.

"Yeah, sure. But keep the ten. A deal's a deal. Just as long as you promise not to spend it. I'm gonna kick your ass on the swings tomorrow."


	13. Moving Out And Moving In

A/N: As always, thanks so much to** lizardmomma, qtgirl, **and** Draco's-Loyal-Longing **for reviewing. Glad you all still like the story. Just letting you know, this chapter has a little bit of sexuality. Don't read if you don't like it. Otherwise, hope you all enjoy the chapter, reviews are appreciated, and happy reading.

* * *

_Chapter Twelve_

When Phoebe and Paige got back to the manor, Prue and Piper had migrated out of the attic and into the living room. The two oldest Halliwells were talking to Leo, and Phoebe guessed by their hushed tones and worried faces, they were talking about Elizabeth.

When Phoebe, Paige, and Cole entered, they looked up. Phoebe could've cut the tension in the air with a knife.

"So," Phoebe said, wanting to break the silence first, "what have you guys found out?"

"Nothing new," Piper replied, not looking too happy about it. She went to stand beside Leo, leaving Prue alone on the couch.

Paige took Piper's abandoned seat and looked from one sister to the next, wanting one of them to elaborate.

"Was there anything in the Book of Shadows?" Phoebe asked, pretending as though this was a conversation she had everyday.

Piper shook her head. "No. Obviously Cole's mother didn't want anyone to know she was a demon, otherwise I'm sure there would be pages on her."

"Can we stop referring to her as my mother? Her name is Elizabeth," Cole interrupted suddenly.

Phoebe and Piper nodded, while Prue and Paige looked skeptical. "Your mother is the one who's after us? The one who made us leave our lives?" Prue snapped.

Cole sighed, and Phoebe sensed that a huge fight was about to ensue. "She may be my mother, but I have nothing to do with her actions. My father hid me from my mother all those years ago; that's why you all thought I was dead. She wanted me to become a full-fledged demon like her, and my father--a human--wouldn't allow it. She's coming after you now because she knows it'll either force me to use my demonic powers to stop her, or cause me to join her."

"Which he'll never do," Phoebe added.

"You mean to tell me that Cole's a demon?" Paige asked in disbelief.

"Half-demon," Cole shot back, as though Paige should've known that all along.

"Splitting hairs," Paige threw back.

Phoebe quickly got in between her younger sister and ex-boyfriend since they both looked like they were going to kill each other. "Guys, focus."

Cole didn't look as though he wanted to, but he relaxed his posture and nodded. "Okay. So what do we do now?" he asked, purposefully keeping his gaze on Phoebe.

"Well, we've been talking about that," Leo said, speaking up for the first time since Phoebe, Paige, and Cole got back. "We think for the time being that Prue and Paige should stay here. At least until the threat with Cole's...with Elizabeth is taken care of."

Phoebe eyed her oldest and youngest sisters wearily, preparing herself for a verbal onslaught. But, surprisingly enough, both of them nodded in agreement.

"Andy and I will move into my old bedroom, and Paige can have hers and Phoebe's," Prue continued.

"Uh, does that mean me too?" Phoebe cut in.

"Well, yeah. Actually, of all people, it's probably the most important for you to come back. After all, you're the one who had the most contact with her," Piper put in, looking confused that Phoebe wouldn't include herself in the moving in process.

"But with Connor finding out the truth, I don't know where we stand and..."

"Then it's probably for the best if you two took some time away from each other. Give him some time to gather his thoughts. It's only temporary," Piper interrupted.

Phoebe sighed, knowing she was right. "If we're going to do this, then I should go get some of my things from the apartment."

She stood up before anyone could argue with her and left the manor. She knew Connor probably wouldn't argue with her about temporarily moving out, but all the same, she wanted to at least give him the opportunity.

By the time she got to the apartment, Connor's car was already in the designated spot. He hadn't called to let her know that he was home. That wasn't a good sign. Pushing the thought aside, Phoebe walked up the stairs that led to the front door and took out her key. She opened the door slowly so that she didn't scare Connor any more than he probably already was.

Carefully she snuck inside, not wanting to necessarily avoid Connor, but she didn't want to deliberately start a fight with him.

It felt as though she were getting into quite a lot of them lately.

Since Connor wasn't in the living room or the kitchen, he had to be in the bedroom. Phoebe wasn't looking forward to meeting him, but was he really expecting her to stay away from him? From their apartment?

Taking a deep breath and telling herself that she had just as much of a right to be there as he did, she strode into the bedroom.

As Phoebe had expected, Connor was inside the bedroom. He was laying on his side of their bed, still in his work clothes with the television on. He was obviously trying to take his mind off the events of the day, but judging from the look on his face, it wasn't working.

"Phoebe? What are you doing here?" Connor asked as he jumped up. Apparently she had been wrong when she assumed that he'd been expecting her to come home.

"Don't worry, not staying. I just came to pack up some of my things," she mumbled as she leaned down and grabbed a suitcase from underneath the bed. She threw it on her side of the bed and began to gather up some clothes.

"You're leaving?" Connor asked, as though he hadn't been expecting that.

Phoebe didn't bother to turn around and face him. "I don't really have much of a choice. I'd explain it to you, but you obviously wouldn't understand. You'd just assume I was on drugs."

Connor shut the TV off, and looked at his feet, rubbing the back of his neck in aggravation. "Phoebe, what I said earlier..."

"Forget it. You don't have to explain. You've made it pretty clear what you think. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish this up, and you won't have to see me for a long time," Phoebe interrupted quickly, taking her favorite shirts off the hangers and went past Connor to lay them in the suitcase. Then she went back to the closet to get some pants.

Connor sighed. "Let me finish. I feel terrible about what I said. I was completely out of line, and I want to apologize, if you'll let me."

Phoebe stopped what she was doing and turned to face him. "I don't really know what to say, Connor. I mean, I love you and I know that you love me, but you can't just say you're sorry and make everything go away. What you said hurt, and it hurts that you don't trust me."

"What was I supposed to say? You told me that a demon was after me! What kind of person just accepts that as an explanation?" Connor burst out.

"That's not the point, Connor. You didn't even consider that I might be right. You just accused me of the one thing you know I don't do, that I've never done and that I would never do. And I don't really know if I'm ready to forgive you just yet," Phoebe said, surprised by how calm and controlled she sounded.

"So you're leaving just like that? Are you even going to tell me where you're going?" Connor asked.

"What you have to know, Connor, is that I'm not leaving because of our fight. The de...the person who attacked the hospital is no longer after you, but is after me and my sisters. I have to go back to my old house because chances are that she knows about this place, and she could be expecting me here."

"When will you be back?" Connor muttered quietly.

Phoebe shrugged. "Depends on how long it takes to take care of the threat," she answered, not wanting to tell him anything else on the subject.

"Am I in any danger?"

Phoebe thought about it, but shook her head after a minute. "No, I don't think so. I mean, you could check into a hotel if you were worried about it, or stay with family, but I think you're fine."

Connor nodded, though Phoebe didn't think he believed her. For a second she considered taking him to the manor with her, but just as quickly dismissed the idea. For one thing it was too crowded, and for another, she wasn't sure if he would go with her anyway.

"Okay, well, you do what you have to. But this isn't over. We still need to talk. Please let me know when the threat is taken care of," Connor said, meeting her gaze for the first time since he had learned the truth.

Phoebe nodded. "I will."

Connor nodded and just watched as Phoebe picked up her suitcase and left the bedroom.

Once Phoebe was outside, she felt a drop of moisture hit the hand that was carrying her suitcase. She looked up at the sky to see if it was starting to rain, but there wasn't a cloud. Only when she was out of the apartment parking lot did she realize that she was starting to cry.

* * *

When she got back to the manor, her sisters had dispersed. Phoebe assumed that they were moving back into the rooms they had lived in as children. The only difference was that Grams was longer with them, and that Leo and Cole would be staying instead.

Phoebe went upstairs and opened the door of the room she had shared with Paige for practically her whole childhood. She was slightly surprised to see that pretty much everything was how it used to be. Their beds were still there, as well as the dressers. Everything was the same down to the sheets that were on the beds.

Paige was busy dusting, and hadn't looked up when Phoebe entered. She put her suitcase on her bed and began loading the closet with the clothes she had just packed up.

"It feels like we're right back where we started, doesn't it?" Paige stated once Phoebe shut the door to their room.

Phoebe shrugged. "It's only temporary. You'll be back in New York in no time."

"I guess. But how weird is it to be back here? I mean, just yesterday our lives were so far apart. I didn't think I would ever be back here. And now we're all living together again. It just feels...I don't know, surreal."

"I know what you mean. Hopefully once this is all over we can find a happy medium. You know, staying in touch with each other without having to move in together," Phoebe replied.

Paige laughed. "Seriously."

A knock at the door interrupted the sisters. "Come in," Phoebe called.

The door opened, revealing Cole. Paige's face darkened when she saw who it was.

"I'm going to go down and...get something to eat," Paige said, excusing herself.

Phoebe and Cole waited for her to leave the room before talking. Once she was gone, Cole began.

"How'd it go?" he asked. Phoebe didn't have to ask him what he was talking about to know who he was referring to.

"He tried to apologize, but he was just saying that because he felt guilty. He didn't try to stop me."

"You, uh, didn't invite him here?" Cole pressed.

Phoebe shook her head. "No. Even if I had, it's too crowded here. I told him to go stay with his family or check into a hotel if he's concerned for his safety."

Cole nodded. "Glad to hear it."

Phoebe glared at him.

"Not about the not staying here part, obviously," Cole added, though Phoebe knew he was joking.

Phoebe laughed. "I bet you are."

She wrapped her arms around Cole, and he picked her up and laid her down on her bed the way they had so many times as teenagers. Phoebe kissed him desperately, welcoming Cole's hands exploring her body. He kissed her back passionately and began to work his way into her jeans.

He unbuttoned them and started to take them off when Phoebe realized what they were doing.

"Cole, stop," she murmured, though she made no effort to pull away.

Cole acted as though he hadn't heard her. He managed to get her out of the jeans and started to worm his way underneath her shirt.

"Cole..." Phoebe muttered, this time softer. She moaned as he reached her breasts.

"Hmm...?"

"We can't. We can't do this," Phoebe said, finally managing to sit up.

Cole looked confused. "Why not?"

"Because...Connor...I don't want to betray his trust the moment I temporarily move out," Phoebe explained, adjusting her shirt so that sat normally on her frame. She didn't bother with her pants.

Cole sighed and sat up as well. "You need to make a decision, Phoebe. Me or him. You can't have both. It's not fair to either one of us for you to mess around with us both."

Phoebe nodded, shame filling her being. "I know. I'm sorry."

Cole got off the bed and walked to the door. "Let me know when you come to your senses," he said, then left.


	14. Turning The Tables

A/N: I'm so sorry that I haven't updated this sooner. I sort of didn't know where to go, but I do now, so hopefully this story will be back up in full force! Sorry it's kind of short too, but I didn't know where else to leave it off.

Thanks to **PhoebeColefan, lizardmomma, **and** Draco's-Loyal-Longing **for reviewing. And to everyone else who is reading. I really do appreciate it!

* * *

_Chapter Thirteen_

Cole wouldn't look at Phoebe for the rest of the night. Phoebe figured he was just trying to make a point, but still. It didn't mean that it didn't hurt.

Phoebe could tell that Piper could tell that something was up. Out of all her sisters, Piper had always been the one to catch on to her problems the quickest, even when she didn't want her to. Luckily though, Piper didn't say anything in front of everyone else. Not that there was really anything to say.

"Any new leads?" Phoebe asked as she entered the kitchen. Piper was busy cleaning the mess that the clan had made after dinner. Phoebe felt slightly guilty for not offering to help her clean up, but that guilt disappeared as she remembered how Cole had left her room, hurt and full of pride.

Piper shook her head. "I'm afraid not."

"Well we can't just sit here and wait for Elizabeth to attack."

"I know, but what else can we do? I mean, Leo has asked the Elders what to do, but they thought she was dead. She's been laying low for so long that they aren't even sure of her powers anymore," Piper retorted.

Phoebe shook her head in disbelief. "For beings who are supposed to be all-knowing, they sure don't know much."

Piper shrugged. "Yeah well, for now they're the best we got. Have you thought anymore about asking Cole?"

"No. He doesn't know," Phoebe replied, a little too quickly to be casual.

Piper eyed her suspiciously before turning away. "Alright. Well Prue is up in the attic looking in the book some more. You might have better luck helping her than to hide down here with me."

Phoebe looked up. "I'm not hiding from anything."

"Okay. Well, whatever you're doing, you should go help Prue."

Phoebe looked back down. "I don't think she wants my help."

"Are you kidding me? You're the only one who is actually _embracing _being a witch! You'd probably have more luck finding something than Prue would."

"I don't think so. Being a witch is turning out to be more than it's cracked up to be," Phoebe mumbled, her voice low.

Piper rolled her eyes at this. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but you have got to snap out of it. You and I both know that you're having a blast being a witch, and I know you're itching to do whatever you can to get rid of Cole's mother. I don't know if there are any ulterior motives, and quite frankly I don't care, but if we expect to come out of this thing alive, you have got to be on your game. We all do. Now go."

Phoebe nodded and reluctantly left the kitchen, knowing her older sister was right. It wasn't like she didn't want to help Prue. She did. But she figured that Cole would be up there, and she knew the atmosphere would be awkward, and then they wouldn't get anything done.

But she went up to the attic anyway, knowing that demon matters had to come first. Especially if she expected to figure out the mess between herself, Connor, and Cole.

When she got to the attic, however, Cole was nowhere to be found. She considered asking Prue if he had been up there, but didn't. She knew quite well how her oldest sister felt about Cole, and decided not to push her luck with Prue being there in the first place.

So instead she asked, "Need any help?"

Prue looked up, not having noticed Phoebe enter. She nodded. "That would be great. I'm getting nowhere with this."

Phoebe sat down on the white sofa beside her sister and Prue moved the book so that it was sitting comfortably across both of their laps.

"I don't think there is going to be anything in here. Piper and I have searched it at least a dozen times," Phoebe pointed out as they flipped lazily through the pages.

"And besides that, it's so tedious. This thing is thick and I can't believe that no one thought to index it," Prue stated.

"I think we're going to have to get used to it. You know, with this whole Charmed thing being permanent."

Prue didn't say anything, and Phoebe had the sneaking suspicion that she was holding back words that she knew Phoebe wouldn't like.

"Wait a minute," Phoebe blurted out suddenly as her eye caught a page she hadn't seen before. "I thought there was nothing on Elizabeth."

"There wasn't," Prue said as she turned to get a better look at the page her younger sister was looking at.

Phoebe read out loud. "'The demon Elizabeth married a mortal, Benjamin Turner, in 1973 and had a son with him two years later. She is known for trying to lure her son to the Underworld, and will do whatever it takes to succeed. She can shape-shift, throw fireballs, and shimmer at will.'"

Phoebe finished reading and glanced at Prue, wondering if they were thinking the same thing.

"Did you say she can shape-shift?" Prue asked wearily.

Phoebe and Prue shot out of their seats and scrambled out of the attic, going to warn everyone else about what they had just found out. They ran downstairs and hurried into the living room, and what they saw made them stop dead in their tracks.

A tall blond woman was smirking at them and holding an athame to Paige's neck. Phoebe looked up at her younger sister and saw the fear in her eyes as well as shock. She mouthed 'help me' to her sisters.

Phoebe could only hope that she could do just that.

"Ah, Phoebe. Just the one I was hoping to see," Elizabeth said pleasantly, as though they were just doing business.

"Let her go! She has nothing to do with this!" Phoebe exclaimed desperately, starting to take small steps towards them.

"No, no, no. That's quite close enough." Elizabeth pressed the knife tighter against Paige's skin, causing her to yelp in pain.

"Please, let her go. It's me that you want!" Phoebe continued, hoping that Cole's mother would see the logic in this and let Paige go. If her plan was to lure Cole to join her in the Underworld, then it would only make sense to take Phoebe as leverage.

Elizabeth pretended to think this over. "Well, that was the original plan, but that was just so predictable. So _overdone. _You see, when I shape-shifted back into myself, I realized something when I saw young Paige here. If I killed her, or at least lure her as bait, Cole will see how devastated you'll be, and if there is one thing I know about my son, it's that he can't stand to see you in pain. So if I use _Paige, _he'll directly see the pain I'm causing you and he'll have no choice but to go down there and stop it."

Phoebe glared at her. "You bitch! I won't let you!"

Elizabeth let out a cruel, high-pitched laugh. "But my dear, I'm afraid you already have!"

With that Elizabeth shimmered out of the manor with Paige in tow. And all Phoebe saw after that was nothing.

* * *

"Let me see if I can get this straight. The demon Elizabeth shape-shifted into an object we hadn't noticed before, captured Paige, and is now using her as leverage to lure Cole to her side?" Piper asked after Prue and Phoebe finished recounting the story to her, Leo, and Cole.

Prue nodded helplessly. "There was nothing we could do. By the time we saw the page on Elizabeth in the Book of Shadows, it was too late. She had already gotten to Paige."

Piper frowned. "Wait a minute. I thought there wasn't anything on Elizabeth in the book. I looked through it myself!"

Leo cut in, offering an explanation. "Well, sometimes pages are added to the book by the Halliwell ancestors as they're needed. That's probably what happened here."

"Don't you think that is something you might have wanted to tell us sooner?" Piper hissed.

Phoebe sighed. "Piper, there was nothing we could've done. If we had tried to make a pass at her, she could've killed Paige. And she would have. Trust me."

Piper took a deep breath before answering. "I know, Phoebe. This isn't anyone's fault."

"We need to look at the book again and see if there's a vanquish for her. If there is we can make the potion or say the spell or whatever, then go down there and get Paige back," Prue interrupted and stood up, prepared to go back up to the attic.

"No, you can't. There isn't any known vanquish for Elizabeth. That's part of the reason she's been around so long," Cole said, speaking up for the first time since his mother had reappeared.

The Charmed Ones stared at him incredulously. "Well, we can't just leave her down there. Who knows what that..._demon _will do to her!" Piper said.

Cole nodded. "Yes, I know that, but there are better ways of getting her back. Going down there would be exactly what she wants."

Phoebe looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "But Cole, there's always the chance that she'll do something to Paige. If we do nothing, or wait too long, she might be dead."

Cole looked at her sympathetically. "I know that's what you think, but I know my mother. Despite not living with her all that long, I know how she thinks. How she works. If she kills Paige, she'll have lost her best chance of getting to me, and she would never risk that. We have to play this carefully. Otherwise we'll be playing right into her hand."

The sisters stared at him but knew that he was right. Or at least had to believe that he did. Phoebe knew that Prue and Piper weren't quite as willing to believe him since they now knew he was a half-demon. But Phoebe knew Cole, and she knew that he would never do anything to put Paige in any more danger than she was already in. Despite not always getting along, she knew that Cole cared about her and her sisters very much.

"Can we at least make a potion?" Prue demanded.

Cole shrugged. "If you think it will help, though you'll just be wasting your time."

"Well, it's better than doing nothing," Piper muttered under her breath, and Phoebe watched as her older sisters went upstairs to the attic to take the Book of Shadows and use it as a guide to making a potion.

Phoebe was left alone with Cole, and she felt as though she could cut the tension with a knife.

"Are you going to join your sisters?" he asked with his arms crossed.

Phoebe shook her head. "No, I think you're right. I think we have more important things to do than to make potions that won't work."

Cole looked at her in surprise. "Really? I was under the impression that you wanted to save Paige no matter what it took."

"I do. But it's like you said. There are better ways."

Cole frowned. "Phoebe, what are you thinking?"

Phoebe hesitated, not sure how he would take what she was about to tell him. "I'm thinking that maybe, a witch and a demon working together, we can go down and get he back."

Cole couldn't help but laugh. "Phoebe, I know you want your sister back, but we can't just go down there. Leo was right when he said that it would be playing right into her hands."

"But Cole, I can't just sit up here and do nothing while that demon does who knows what to her!" she exclaimed, feeling her patience wearing thin.

Cole relaxed his gaze and held her gently in his arms. "I know you can't. Which is why you and I need to come up with something else."

"What?"

"There is a spell in the Book of Shadows. It's a summoning spell to call a lost witch. And even though technically Paige isn't a witch, she is your sister, and the pull might be strong enough to get her our of the Underworld."

Phoebe frowned. She hadn't been a witch all that long, but what Cole said made sense. Paige might not be a witch, but she came from a long line of witches. She didn't see how using a summoning spell wouldn't work.

So she nodded. "Okay. I'm in. But how are we going to get the book away from my sisters? They're pretty dead set on making that potion."

Cole gave her a look that said, 'oh please.' "Leave it to me. I know just what to do."


End file.
